Budget home security tips

Installing an alarm system is one of the best ways to prevent your home from being burgled, and can bring down the cost of your home insurance to boot. However, effective alarm systems can cost an arm and a leg, so if you cannot afford to install one, you may be pleased to learn that there are a lot of inexpensive ways to upgrade your home security.

Don’t allow burglars any hiding places on your property. Make sure that any hedges, bushes, shrubberies or trees that are near windows and doors are kept trimmed, so that the potential burglar, upon seeing the lack of places to hide, is less likely to choose your property as the scene of their next crime.

By installing deadbolts, you can give your doors the best possible protection against breaking and entering. If you have deadbolts, burglars will literally have to smash in your doors or windows to gain access to your property, both of which noisy occurrences are likely to attract the attention of your neighbours.

Motion detectors, which turn on your driveway lights whenever anyone goes past your home in the dark, can be a highly effective deterrent to burglars and badly behaved children alike, and hint at the presence of a more expensive alarm system.

Few burglars will risk trying to gain access to a property that has a guard dog, but actually owning a dog can be a very expensive business, what with all the vet bills and expensive tins of jellied meat that a dog owner has to pay out for nowadays. If you cannot afford to keep a dog, or do not want the hassle, simply faking the presence of a four legged friend can be an effective deterrent to burglars. Leave some obvious canine accoutrements, such as a dog bowl, collar, or leash outside the front of your house, and most burglars will move along.

If you are a woman living alone, then it might be a good idea to try to give the impression that a big, burly man also lives there. Leave a massive pair of work boots and gloves out on your front doorstep, and it might make burglars think twice about trying your front door.

Buy some timed switches, and connect lights to them. By setting them up to turn lights on and off inside your home at a set time each day while you are away, you can create the illusion that there are people inside when there are not.

Most importantly, always remember to lock all of your doors and windows whenever you leave the home, as not only does this make it more difficult for a burglar to enter your property, but it also ensures that you will be able to claim on your contents insurance in the event of a burglary.