DIY security for your home will give you some simple tips on how you can properly secure your home without paying too much for it. Many security companies offer complicated security and alarm systems for your protection. While these are good, not all families can afford what they cost. Besides, with a few precautions of your own, and some well-placed deterrents, you can keep your family, yourself and your home protected. The warmer weather is arriving and people are beginning to take their annual vacation (holiday). This is the time of year in which burglary increases, so before you go away make sure you have done the following:

DIY security for your home 1: CCTV Security Camera

You can install a CCTV security camera yourself. No criminal wants to take the chance of being caught on camera, even if it’s a home-installed one! Besides,  if you hide the VCR (where it’s being taped) in a good enough place, they’ll have to spend the first half hour of the burglary trying to find it so they could take the tape out of it. This is not a good investment of time – even for a burglar.

DIY security CCTV cameras move around too. People in my neighbourhood have theirs panned onto their car, which is parked in the drive. I always keep my distance when I’m passing by in the mornings to take my daughter to school. The last thing I want is to be filmed too close to the car – and I’m a law-abiding citizen doing nothing wrong.

DIY security for your home 2: motion sensor lights

DIY fitted motion lights are very simple to fit. They’re cheap and easy to obtain from any DIY shop. The hardest thing is fitting the bracket to the outside wall. All you need to do next, is find a suitable place to plug your light in. Burglars hate bright lights. If you have one just above your front and back doors (which come on with motion) anyone who approaches will be flooded with light. Burglars love to work in the dark, and they can spot these motion sensor lights a mile off. Security for your home have never been easier. I’ve installed these lights on the outside of every house we’ve lived in.

DIY security for your home 3: have secure windows

You may not be able to fit your own windows, but the life of double glazing is prolonged if you take care of them properly. Every 6 months you should clean off the dirt from between all the working, metal parts, then oil them with WD40 to keep them working well. It’s terribly hard to break into double glazed windows, especially when they’re locked shut. If you’re away a lot, or before you go away on holiday, lock all your windows and keep the keys hidden out of sight. For secure Window-Openers that offer safe ventilation visit Rocburn today.

DIY security for your home 4: have secure external doors

The condition of your external doors can make the difference between a burglar attempting to break in or not. Your doors should look secure, even from the outside. Take care of all rotten wooden parts or broken glass etc. You may not think it’s important, but when you come to claim insurance (in case of a burglary) your insurance company will make it very important indeed, and may even refuse to give you the payout you ask for.  Always treat wood to keep them in good condition and check that there are no broken panes. A door that looks like it’s taken care of appears more secure from the outside.

DIY security for your home 5: side gates and sheds

Purchase good, sturdy locks for your side gate and shed. It may seem like a chore to open them each time you need access, but wouldn’t you rather do this than run the risk of being burgled? A house (and surrounding) that look secure, often are. This is the message you want to give to a potential burglar when they eye-up your property.  You don’t want to invite them in by showing how unconcerned you are with security. Someone who opens a gate and walks through can be mistaken for you (by your neighbour). Someone who climbs over a gate attracts attention from even a casual passer by. Make burglars have to climb over and out themselves.

You also need a lock on your shed so that burglars can’t access your tools and ladders and use them to break into your home. More on exterior care at the link.

DIY security for your home 6: fences and hedges

When it comes to security for your home, fences play a key role in keeping your property safe. It’s advisable to plant prickly plants near your fences as deterrents. A high fence with a trellis at the top is also ideal for stopping prowling burglars. They won’t want to climb over a trellis because they can’t hold an adult’s weight. In addition to this, if your trellis has got a prickly plant growing from it they know you mean business. If you have a hedge with no fence, make sure you have adequate thorny plants that hurt.

DIY security 7: burglar deterrents

Burglars don’t like hard work. It’s one of the reasons they won’t get a proper job. Therefore, making your home harder to break into is a sure way of making it less attractive to potential burglars. If you have an alarm system from a company like Safemart, use it. However, if you don’t there are other little things you can do to make your home  a more difficult target for breaking into, especially if you’re away. Here are some deterrents you can use. I’ve also put a link (at the bottom of this page) to an affordable alarm system you can hook up yourself.

When you’re going to be away get timers for your lights so that your house isn’t completely dark (or the lights aren’t on all the time).

Set your TV on a timer to come on the usual time you watch TV. The noise and flashing blue lights from the screen gives the impression someone’s home.

Some people also play barking dogs’ tapes. I haven’t tried this so can’t vouch for it. It would be a  bit weird if you haven’t usually got a dog, though. 🙂

Keep all keys hidden out of sight (not visible from the windows).

Tell the neighbours you’re going away and when you’re coming back.

Cancel milk and papers deliveries.

Ask a friend to come by and change the appearance of your home – open curtains, pick up mail, park in your drive etc.

Do you have any other DIY security for your home we may find helpful here? Have you ever been burgled and what was the point of entry? If you liked ‘DIY Security for your home’, please share it on your favourite social networking sites. Thank you.