Who doesn’t want a safe, secure home? The trick is figuring out how hot get the job done without spending too much or too little. Too many homeowners and apartment dwellers fall into the trap of either being too frugal or assuming that higher-priced components and devices are always the better choices.
In fact, there’s a middle sweet spot that offers the most worthwhile values for the average consumer who wants real security and safety for the right price.
But, along with resolving the money question, people need to think long and hard about the array of products that will deliver the highest possible level of safety for every dollar they spend.
What’s the smartest way to begin? Besides choosing the most appropriate kinds of locks for a home or apartment, it’s imperative to make a financial plan to cover all the related expenses of installing a household system.
Top concerns include vital components like specialty lighting, window protection, a variety of cameras, guard dogs, psychological tactics, and even high-tech tripwires for yards, walkways, and garages.
There’s no specific order to the following steps, so feel free to start anywhere as long as you cover all the bases by the time you’re ready to put all the pieces of the plan together.
Commit to Buying High-Quality Components and Equipment
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There’s nothing wrong with bargain hunting, but when it comes to protecting your family, your home, and yourself, it makes sense to spend whatever is needed to get the job done. After making a comprehensive plan about what to buy and how to install your new devices, systems, and security components, develop a detailed financial plan.
The goal should be to borrow what you need by applying for a personal loan. The good news is that there are low monthly payment loans to suit any budget or lifestyle.
When putting the plan on paper, remember that it’s usually financially smart to purchase from a single seller.
That’s because most of the large retailers in the home security niche offer substantial discounts on bundled components like lights, alarms, cameras, and more.
Get the Right Locks
Choosing a lock can be a dizzying process with all the choices available these days. However, if you want to get the highest level of protection for a home, it’s usually a good idea to choose the smart versions of modern locking devices for doors, windows, garages, and other entrances and exits.
Most are designed for relatively easy installation, but it helps if you’re handy with common household tools. There are plenty of options that range from simple to complex, so be sure to research the options at an online or local hardware store.
The majority of smart locks can be connected to a phone or other computer device, depending on the make and model of locks you prefer.
One Word: Cameras
The great news for homeowners is that the price of high-definition and other kinds of cameras has come way down in the past several years.
That means just about anyone can purchase as many units as they need to get full coverage of their property, including inside and outside spaces of houses, apartments, garages, storage units, and vehicles.
The primary benefit of modern cameras is that consumers have a wide range of choices in terms of complexity, visual definition, video quality, size, and price.
Plus, it’s possible to connect some or all of a home’s cams to a recording device for later use in legal proceedings.
Consider mounting several small units on rooftops and concealing several more in various places along the perimeter of the property and around the lower level of your home.
Know Your Lights
Simple lighting configurations and knowing when you need light the most can deliver a powerful punch of safety for people who like the idea of low-cost technology that offers excellent value.
Among the most popular lights among consumers are motion-activated units that only come on when the attached sensor detects movement in the nearby area.
There are also timed systems for inside the home that can make it appear as if someone is there while owners are away on vacation.
Basic options include standard spotlights that constantly illuminate an entryway or other designation zone on the property.
Man’s Best Friend
If you don’t mind having a pet, think about getting a dog that makes lots of noise. Some breeds are better guard dogs than others, but be sure you’re ready to take the full responsibility of owning a pet, caring for it, and welcoming it into your home.
Avoid adopting breeds that are known to be dangerous or especially violent. Note that in some jurisdictions, it’s illegal to own certain dog breeds that are designated to be a danger to the public.
Psychological Tactics and Black Ops
Governments use psychological operations, so why can’t everyone else? That’s the philosophy behind approaches to home-based security that include components like frightening signage, fake cameras, and other misleading but highly effective methods.
Most are very inexpensive techniques and include things like:
- Placing a dog bowl in the backyard
- Adding gun club membership stickers to the insides of windows
- Fake but realistic-looking cameras around doorways and garages
- Neighborhood Watch stickers
- Putting narrow electrical tape around the perimeter of windows to give the impression that there is an alarm in place
- Connecting barking dog audio to doorbells
- Putting Warning: Dangerous Dog signs on backyard fences and garage doors
- Placing at least one 2A sticker somewhere conspicuous on your home, indicating support for gun-ownership rights, even if you don’t own any guns
Learn About Tripwires
Tripwires are not about causing intruders to lose balance and fall down. Instead, the unobtrusive lines are set up to encircle yards and other areas so that trespassers set off loud buzzers, bells, or other kinds of alarm-enabled devices.
Owners choose tripwires that automatically turn on spotlights too, which catches crooks cold in their tracks and makes it easier to photograph and film them for future use in court. The units are inexpensive and easy to set up. They serve as a powerful piece of a total home-based alarm array. In the end the best possible thing you can do is to have an excellent home security system installed in your residence.
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