Home Security: Protecting Your New Home

When you move into a new area that you're unfamiliar with, it is not uncommon to feel somewhat anxious about your new environment. One of the ways to feel more comfortable in your new home is by ensuring that you have adequate home security. There are many alternatives to actually having a home security system installed; look into what you can do on your own first.

The level of home security that will feel comfortable to you will have a lot to do with how you feel about your new environment and how vulnerable you might feel in general. If you live alone, you might need a higher level of security to feel comfortable in a new neighborhood where you are unused to the sounds and activity outside especially at night.

The spot where most of us think of when it comes to home security hardware is the front door. A good steel security door is a great investment if your house didn't come with one when you bought it. Not only is it strong enough to be a deterrent to a break in, but it's also a great type of door to have to protect your home from extreme weather conditions.

Match up your new door with a good quality dead bolt lock that projects at least an inch into the door frame. Your dead bolt should have a large strike plate that will take at least four screws to attach it to the frame. If the screws are less than three inches long, replace them with longer ones that will add more security in case anyone decides to try to force in your front door.

Windows can be made more secure with locking mechanisms as well. At the very least, all of the windows on the ground floor should have a lock. The age-old strategy of using a dowel in the track of a sliding window works well for that style of window as well as sliding glass doors. Other styles of windows will require different treatments to ensure that they can't be opened fully if you want to be able to leave them cracked open in the summer, check with the manufacturer for options.

To help keep criminals from thinking that your house looks appealing to break into there are some things you can do outside as well. In your yard keep the size of bushes next to your house smaller or sparser so that thieves don't have anywhere to hide from view to break in. Also, the use of motion detector lights can help be a deterrent and be very useful for if you come home after dark as well.

A dog that barks when people come to your door also can work as a deterrent to thieves; many types of small dog breeds work well for this purpose. If you're looking more for a dog that could protect you if someone broke into your house, then a larger breed known for its loyalty and protective qualities would be more effective. Make sure that any dog you want to protect you has proper obedience training so that it is no danger to visitors who come to your door.

Any way that you can show thieves that your house would be a hassle to break into and get away with your valuables will help keep your home safe. Try combining the elements that deal with the more vulnerable areas of your home to keep them safe from break-ins before deciding if you need the additional piece of mind of a security system to protect yourself and your investment.

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