Article Do You Have Designs on Better Home Security?, Read Now

Whether you are looking to sell your home and buy a new one or are perfectly content where you reside now, it is likely that home security has crossed your mind a time or two.

For many individuals looking for homes, one of the first things of interest is what the crime rate is in the prospective neighborhood they might call home. Are there a rash of burglaries and robberies? Are police routinely patrolling the area so that residents feel safer?

One of the ways both current and prospective homeowners can improve their safety odds is by installing a home security system.

Whether they opt for something like http://homesecurity911.com/adt/new-york/ in the Empire State or another such system elsewhere in the country, there are myriad of security options available to protect both residents and their possessions.

So, how do you go about best securing the place you call or are about to call home?

Don’t Take Security for Granted

First and foremost, make sure you and your family members (where applicable) don’t drop your guard against thieves.

As all too many victims of home burglaries know, criminals are always trying to stay one step ahead of consumers.

What do criminals specifically look for?

While there can be a laundry list of giveaways that a resident or residents are either away or actually home but not secure in their surroundings, criminals regularly keep an eye out for these two signs:

• Properties that are not kept up – Sure, some residents who almost never go away can be sloppy when it comes to keeping the lawn mowed, shrubbery trimmed, and sidewalks clear of snow in the wintertime. More often than not, these are telltale indicators that no one is home, making this residence a prime target for a break-in. Get a neighbor or family member to keep the grass neat and flowers watered while you’re away. The same holds true in the wintertime if you’ve jetted off to some warm and sunny destination while everyone else back home shivers and shovels. Not only for legality reasons (slips and falls), make sure the snow is shoveled on your property if you are away. You also might want a trusted neighbor or family member to move any cars in the driveway from time to time to make it look like someone is home;

• Social announcements – While it may be fun to show Aunt Mary or your old college pal the trip of a lifetime via social media, you are also tipping off criminals that you are not home. Two ways to get around this are waiting until you return home to post the pictures and announcements or doing it on locked social networks where only people you trust can view your posts. Either way; think before you type and post. The same holds true for a death in the family. While everyone is attending a loved one’s funeral that has been announced in the local newspaper, make sure your home security system is armed and/or keep someone at home during the services.

Keeping unwanted guests (criminals) out of your home just takes some commonsense and some secure choices.