Home Security Basics

Crime rates vary, but in many large cities they've actually gone down over the past few decades. Still, the population has grown and the need for security is still very much with us.

Home security systems used to be largely reserved for the well-to-do. This made sense when the systems were very expensive and they were installed to protect even more expensive possessions. Fortunately, things have changed. Now, even very modest homes can afford some level of home security, especially since many components of a total design require nothing but a little common sense.

The first step is to consider how a thief might view your home, and how they might access it and get away with your possessions or harm your family. Shoring up weak parts and adopting better habits is often as much a matter of being more aware as it is spending money.

When it comes time to invest in home security the range of options is enormous, luckily. Inexpensive window locks, low-cost double-key door lock/deadbolt systems and other such items are within reach of just about anyone. Even video surveillance systems, once the exclusive preserve of the wealthy that most of us saw only in TV shows and films, are now affordable by the majority of homeowners.

Safes, too, used to be largely for the rich. Today, prices range from $50 or less for a simple wall safe that will hold jewelry or a laptop to a few hundred dollars for a gun safe or floor model. Safe rooms, or panic rooms as they're popularly known, can turn an entire room into a safe that is both fire protective and impenetrable. Costs are higher than a free-standing safe, but often little more than an ordinary room addition or remodeling job.

Lighting systems, both inside the home and outside, have evolved over the years as costs have come down. In days past a simple on-off timer inside and outdoor floodlights were about the only choices. Today, even very modest expenditures can net you a system that can be connected to your PC, increasing their usefulness.

Personal security options have grown. Tasers, chemical sprays and other devices are often carried by individuals in large cities. Concealed firearms are still controversial and sometimes illegal.

Still, many of the old-fashioned methods continue to be effective. Guard dogs, behavioral changes and having your neighbors look out for you are still effective security tools.

People are beginning to reverse the decades-long slide that kept neighbors a stranger, increasing their vulnerability. Now it's widely recognized that an active neighborhood watch program increases security substantially at almost no cost, and not just in dollars but in time as well.

Investigate your home and personal security options and you'll discover there's much you can do to enhance the safety of your possessions and your loved ones. And, you don't have to have (or spend) a fortune to do it.