What is the best home security option for your home and family? When you are assessing the current home security plan any and all corrective action you do to protect your home and family is a step closer to more secure home.

Some home security tips to begin thinking about are items that will detour or basically stop a potential intruder from coming into your residence. A home alarm system is always a terrific option to take into consideration with the rest of these tips.

The first thing you will want to do is examine your home from the outside. Make sure your home is well lit. Motion sensors are one way to go however a home with lightening that is substantial and always on. Another thing to look for his potential hiding spots close to all the doors and windows. If you spot an issue on the outside of your home than be for sure a burglar will take advantage of that. A seasoned burglar looks for ways in to your home. Your job is to make sure that they are all well lit. Why? A well lit yard is a burglar’s worst enemy, darkness is its friend.

It is important that you think of ways that you can slow a potential intruder’s entrance into your home. Simple home security measures help along with the use of home alarm systems. The addition of deadbolts on the homes doors is an important step to take. Another element is to add a solid bracket inside of all door walls. These elements help to deter potential intruders and at the very least will slow them down. The more time it takes for them to enter the home the more discouraged they will become and since time is of the essence this is important.

Another element like light that acts is a deterrent is noise. Choosing a home security alarm that is activated by doors and windows opening or by any motion is effective. The alarms that are the most efficient at turning intruders away are loud noises such as a barking dog whether real or a recording is most effective.

The three most successful tips and biggest enemies to burglars are light, noise and time. If you put these home security tips into place you are helping to prevent any possible break-ins. Here are a few other ways you can help yourself.

• Don’t display valuables in view of people on the outside. It is temptation to some people. Consider putting items of great value that are on the smaller side in a safe. Many safes can be made to look like common everyday items, these are called diversion safes.
• Implore the people in your community to begin a neighborhood watch. Anyone who is a stranger will stick out like a sore thumb. With a neighborhood watch in place the police will be notified when someone suspicious is in the area.
• Anytime you leave your home on an overnight trip or extended vacation make your home look occupied. Use lights on varied timers so that they all go off at different times each and every night. Televisions and radios can also be set on timers to make it appears as if you are home even when you are not.
• Lock all doors and windows even when gone for brief periods of time. This is especially important during the summer. A huge temptation for thieves is open windows and garages.

A few simple changes can make a world of difference in making your home less intrusive. Begin with an assessment of your home. Create a well lit, secure home that detours intruders from making your belongings theirs.

At Allstar Alarm LLC, we pride ourselves in developing customized security systems to protect you, your family and personal property from theft burglary, fire, flood, carbon monoxide and/or medical emergencies.

Why Allstar Alarm?
• Locally owned and operated since 1986.
• Quick response and personal service to meet your needs with our experienced technicians.
• Offers flexibility and customization of systems.
• Proven stability in the alarm industry with long-term customer relationships.
• Competitively priced Internet communication option – we can also connect using the Voice Over Internet Protocol with high-speed internet users

In addition, having these systems in place can help save money on your insurance costs, while providing you and your family the priceless value of peace of mind.

No Phone Line? No Problem!
Allstar Alarm can offer various options for our customers to connect to Central Station for Monitoring.

• Cellular connection option (referred to as AlarmNet), provides additional safety by eliminating communication lines outside the house for a burglar to cut.
• Internet communication option – we can also connect using the Voice Over Internet Protocol with high-speed internet users

Home security systems can protect against break-ins

While record high gold prices are great for investors, they’re cause for concern on the part of homeowners. Gold of any kind is a great incentive for burglars: it’s easy to turn into cash, and once sold it’s melted down, it leaves no evidence of its ownership.

How many houses can you think of that don’t have some gold lying about in jewelry boxes or drawers, items like rings and necklaces, or sentimental, inherited pieces?

Any kind of gold is a huge draw for thieves, especially with the price of gold nearing $2,000 an ounce.

The challenge for homeowners is how to protect themselves from thieves on the prowl, and minimize their losses if thieves gain entrance to their homes?

The best thing, according to the Insurance Information Institute out of New York, is to make sure your home is as unattractive to thieves as possible. If a thief is forced to work in the light, take a lot of time, or make a lot of noise to get inside your home, they’ll choose another that presents less of a challenge. Research shows that if it takes longer than a few minutes to gain entry to your home, the intruder will move on.

In addition to common-sense precautions like motion-detecting lights and well-trimmed landscaping, burglar alarms provide additional challenges for intruders and extra peace of mind for homeowners.

Home alarm systems aren’t that expensive, especially when you take into account the savings in insurance, prevented loss and the costs — tangible and psychological — of having an intruder inside your home.

There are two types of home alarm systems:

1. Unmonitored systems are those that use on-site sirens and flashing lights to alert anyone nearby that your home is being burglarized. What you save in cost over a monitored system is balanced against having to depend on the alertness of your neighbors to call police if your system goes off.
2. Monitored systems are those in which you pay a security company to keep watch over your property 24/7, alerting you and police if necessary. The security of knowing authorities will be alerted is good value.

Homeowners should expect to pay $1-$2 a square foot for a monitored alarm system to protect their entire home. The monthly fee for monitoring generally runs about $25 a month, according to Consumer Reports. (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm).
Homeowners can lease or buy security systems.

As with other kinds of services, most-notably with cell phone contracts, there can be fees for early termination of agreements.

Higher-end alarm systems work with both audible and silent alarms that are triggered by sensors placed throughout the home, not just on windows and doors. Consumer Reports suggests that these combination systems provide greater protection and fewer false alarms.

In addition to your peace of mind, you can also save money with the proper alarm system. Most insurance companies offer discounts of up to 15 percent for installing approved systems. Insurers also like systems with a fire-detection component.

Some tips:

• Make sure your home looks occupied all the time with the use of timers for lights.
• Keep your landscaping trimmed so the view of your home won’t be obstructed.
• Get several quotes for alarm systems before signing a contract.
• If you have an alarm system, make sure its central panel is in a secure spot with the wiring hidden if at all possible, so thieves can’t cut the wires to disable the alarm.
• Before purchasing an alarm system, talk to your local police department to get typical response times to calls and fines for false alarms.
• If you are purchasing an alarm system, be wary of salespersons who don’t take time to assess your home’s vulnerabilities, or discuss system details, notification procedures and provide information about their call centers.
• Keep your insurance policies up-to-date.
• There are generally insurance policy dollar limits on expensive items like antiques, furs and jewelry, if stolen. You might want to consider a personal property endorsement or floater to insure the item for its appraised value.