Home & Garden
How Much Does It Cost to Keep Your Home Safe?
Traveling this holiday season? Find out how to keep your home secure without spending a fortune. [SPONSORED]
There's one thing that's guaranteed to ruin a perfect holiday vacation: coming back to find someone has broken into your home.
With so many people traveling, many neighborhoods are most vulnerable to robbery during the holiday months. Taking the time to assess how secure your house is before you jet out of town is the simplest way to keep your humble abode safer this season. And there's still time to do it!
Here are five tactics to safeguard your home, as well as a look at the cost of each so you can decide which is smartest way to spend your money.
1. Install timers for your lights
Lighting patterns are the easiest way for a burglar to know that you're not home. It's pretty easy for would-be thieves to notice if you're the only house on the block with the lights always off.
Putting your lights on a timer, so they turn on and off at set times during the day, gives an empty house the illusion of daily activity. It won't prevent every break-in, but it will make your house a less likely target.
Average cost to hire an electrician = $322
2. Replace the locks on your doors
Just like anything else, door locks can wear down, break or malfunction from the stress of daily use over the years. And the worse shape they’re in, the easier they are to break through.
Take a close look at the locks on your doors before you head out of town to ensure they are working as they should while you’re gone. If things are loose, rattling or not quite catching the way they used to, arrange to have a professional come take a look and replace your locks as needed
Average cost to hire a locksmith = $151
3. Update your window latches
Burglars are as happy to climb through an unsecured window frame as they are to use an unlocked door. So keeping your windows in good condition is essential to staying safe.
In neighborhoods with high crime rates, installing window alarms on your windows may be necessary. Otherwise, hire a pro to repair or replace old windows that could be targets for burglars.
Average cost to replace a window = $450+
Find a Local Window Latch Repair Service
4. Use your alarm system (or install one)
Don't forget to turn your burglar alarm system on before you leave for vacation. It's easy to get out of the habit if you don't use it regularly, but what's the point of having the system at all if you don't remember to activate the system when you go on trips?
Hopefully, knowing it's on will help you enjoy your vacation even more, since you'll know your house is secure.
If you don't have an alarm system, but you're worried about how safe your home is when you’re away, consider installing one.
Average price to install an alarm system = $664
Find a Local Pre-screened Home Security Installer
5. Install a fence or a security gate
While it may sound extreme, building an extra barrier to keep burglars out of your home is a very effective security measure. You can block intruder access by installing a fence or even a security gate across your driveway.
The gates you can choose vary widely in price. If you choose to have an electronic gate that can only be opened with a code or remote control, you will have a very effective security measure but a much higher price tag as well.
Average price to install a security gate = $1,928
Find a Local Security & Driveway Gate Company
Photo credit: Dave Ungar via Flickr
