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Basement Apartments & Ground-Level Living
I rent out the top level of my split-level house, and live in the basement with my wife and son. From a home security outlook, there are unique challenges living in the basement of a split-level house.
The primary challenge, of course, it that all of my windows are at ground-level. From the inside I can protect them with window sensors as a standard part of my ADT home security system, but that's only half the equation. The outside needs attention.
When you have windows at the ground level, you have to ensure that burglars won't want to mess with them. A great way to accomplish this is to plant rose bushes in front of them. This is exactly what we did, and honestly I feel like it has greatly improved our home security.
Our other concern, of course, is flooding. We actually have sandbags in our storage shed, but our primary protection is a flood sensor as part of our ADT home security equipment. We want the fastest notification possible in the event of rising water levels.
No matter where you live you can protect your home with a little common sense, a bit of work on your part, and having a monitored ADT home security and burglar alarm system professionally installed.
Keeping Your Yard Properly Maintained Can Ward Off Burglars
Summer means good weather, warm nights, family vacations, and more burglars on the prowl than in the winter. Maintaining your yard is a great way to make a potential burglar look for a different target.
One indicator experienced burglars use to pick a target is the condition of the yard. If it's obvious the lawn hasn't been mowed in over a week, or children's toys or other objects in the yard haven't been moved in many days. This is a clear sign that no one is home, and that's when burglars start looking for an easy way in.
Mow your lawn regularly, and make arrangements for yard care if you're going to be away for an extended time. Pick up those objects that find their way around your property. Bikes, trikes, footballs, Frisbees, and other similar objects that remain unmoved for too long will attract a burglar casing properties in your neighborhood.
Arm your house with monitored ADT home security system for optimal protection, particularly when you're away on summer vacation. Your property will be protected 24/7, which will let you enjoy your time away!
Think Home Security When Building Your New Home
Whenever I'm out running around, I always marvel at all the new homes being built. I have often wondered to myself if the new owners are considering home security as they're new house is being constructed.
New home construction is the best time to address home security. You can specify to the builder that you want extra security built around door and window frames. You can also specify triple pane security windows, and solid wood doors with commercial grade deadbolt locks.
It's also a great time to pay attention to your property. You can insist on outdoor lighting, security gates and fences, and landscaping that will be conducive to home security. Lots of tall trees and hedges can be used as hiding places by potential burglars.
During new home construction is always the perfect time to have a home security system professionally installed and to consider ADT professional monitoring. You can really develop your security plan as you're building your house from the ground up!
How Can You Make Your Neighborhood More Secure?
We've all seen real life success stories of community activists who decided they'd had enough crime in their neighborhood and did something about it. You might even be one of those people who was moved to action.
If you want your neighborhood to be a safer place, you might just have to lead the good fight. Starting a neighborhood Block Watch program is a great start. Getting out to meet your neighbors to talk about home and neighborhood security is much easier than you think because no one is against a safer neighborhood except, of course, the criminals.
Getting neighbors looking out for each other is the key to making your neighborhood safer. See something going? Call the police. A car parked across the street looks out of place? Call the police. The more you and your neighbors are active about the security of your neighborhood, the safer it will become. Criminals will get the word fast.
Criminals are smart, they can tell the difference between a neighborhood that watches out for each other and one that doesn't. Your home security system comes with security decals and yard signs that your home is ADT monitored. Use them. Encourage your neighbors to use them. The more signs in your neighborhood the safer everyone will be. Show potential burglars immediately that they're in the wrong neighborhood.
A Few Emergency Supplies On Hand Can Make Life Much Easier
You should have an emergency preparedness kit that is always ready to go at a moment's notice. Some basic items will make you and your family much calmer and better able to cope with things like loss of power and severe weather.
Keeping items like battery operated radios, walkie-talkies, lanterns, and flashlights in a secure, dry place will come in very handy for you and your family, and a lot more often than you might think. Keep a fresh supply of batteries in the kit. By the way, candles are dangerous and can lead to many potential safety problems. Always opt for flashlights and battery operated lanterns.
If you have smaller children at home, including some things that will help keep them occupied is also a good idea. Coloring books, crayons, and other craft items will keep their minds off the power outage, which in turn will keep everyone calm and relaxed.
Your monitored home security system comes complete with battery backup for complete peace of mind in a power outage.