Inexpensive Ways to Secure Your Home from Theft
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Did you know that a burglary takes place about every 18 seconds in the United States? That’s an alarming, but true statistic that costs homeowners thousands when they fall victim to theft. Here are some inexpensive ways to secure your home.
Pin locks are easy to install and much more effective than the latches that most double pane windows are manufactured with. All it takes to install a pin lock is drilling a hole. You can also drill another hole higher up if you want to lock a window while keeping it partially open. Pin locks are available at most home improvement stores including Home Depot and Lowe’s for as low as $8.00 for an 8 pack of locks.
Motion detecting lights are a proven crime deterrent. You can pick up standard hard-wired lights for as little as $15.00. If you don’t have the means to wire them, they are also available in solar and battery-operated models.
Gate latches and sheds are extremely easy to access. A screwdriver is all the thief needs to gain access with little to no noise. The locks on either won’t do any good if what is holding the lock is removed. Replace the screws that generally come with gate and shed latches with tamper proof screws which require a special tool to remove.
Most shed doors swing out, which leaves the pins accessible. Replace your hinges with tamper proof hinges that come with the specialty screws and have a locking tab to keep the pins from being removed from the outside.
What do burglars hate most? Attention. The last thing they want are you or your neighbors coming out to see what’s going on because an alarm goes off. You can buy inexpensive window and door locks that will blast an alarm every time a window or door is opened.
The door alarms have a delay to give you time to activate or deactivate the alarm. The window alarms have an on/off setting. These can be picked up from almost any local store including Walmart, Target, Ace Hardware and more.