10 Low Cost Home Security Improvements for Your House

While installing a home security system can make sense, it can be pretty expensive too. Fortunately, there are some low cost upgrades you can do even if money is tight. Sometimes it’s the little steps we take that count for the most in the end anyway. Here is a list of 10 home improvements that will make your house less attractive to would-be thieves:

10 Low-Cost Home Security Improvements

1. Trim Bushes and Trees Near Doors and Windows — If you have shrubbery that conceals a door or window, it can provide cover for a burglar fiddling with a lock or breaking the glass. If neighbors or passers-by can’t see what’s going on around your house, it gives a burglar just the right environment for shady work. Improve your security by clearing the entrances to your home so anyone trying to break in will be in plain sight.
2. Switch Your Regular Outdoor Lighting to Motion or Heat Sensing Lights — Make sure all the walkways and driveways around your house can be lit by outdoor lights at night, and to save on energy costs, install motion- or heat-sensing units that will come on automatically if someone approaches your home in the dark. This ties in with number 1: burglars like dark nooks–they’re less likely to bother a home if they know odds are good of them being seen.
3. Make It Seem Like Someone Is Always at Home — If you work all day or you’re heading out of town for a vacation, you can install timers for your lights and even some of your electronics (i.e. make the television turn on in the evenings even if no one is at home). Most thieves don’t want to risk confronting a homeowner and are less likely to break in if they think someone is at home.
4. Upgrade Exterior Doors and Window Locks — A lot of homeowners have old doors and old (or non-existing) window locks. If a door looks like it’d be easy to kick down, it’s more of an invitation to a thief than a solid wood or fiberglass door. Make sure your exterior doors are made from solid-core wood or even metal, and also install a deadbolt and maybe even other door lock upgrades for further protection.
5. Secure Sliding Glass Doors with Charley Bars -- Sliding glass doors can be vulnerable home security spots. Not only is glass easily broken, but the locks are often inadequate, and it’s not difficult for thieves to force sliding doors open along their tracks. A simple security upgrade is to install a charley bar or even just place a length of wood in the track. This prevents the door from sliding along the track until the bar is removed. You can also get a special slider lock, which mounts on the surface of the upper door frame and has a key that extends the bolt up into the jamb.
6. Upgrade Locks on Basement and Garage Windows — Basements and garages make appealing targets for burglars looking to gain entrance to the house, since they’re rarely used by the family and they’re usually farther away from living areas. A thief might be able to break the glass on a garage window without alerting someone who is in the living room. Consider beefing up the security on these entry points. You can use metal grilles or grates, but if you don’t like that prison-cell look, you can also get keyed sash locks that are made out of sturdy aluminum.
7. Use Deterring Signs and Stickers — Sometimes an illusion of security is enough to make a burglar look for an easier target. If you have dogs, consider a “beware of dog” poster for the front gate (hey, no one needs to know you have an 8-pound couch potato for a dog). You could place a sign there even if you don’t have a dog. And many folks install fake security cameras and stickers that suggest they have a home security system. These fake security signs and stickers don’t cost much but they might create an illusion of greater security.
8. Install a Strong Lock and Door Between the House and the Garage — Another reason an attached garage is a prime target is because once a burglar makes it inside he is concealed from the street and neighbors. He has plenty of time to try and get into the house through the door, so make sure that door is also solid core and secured by good locks.
9. Secure Outbuildings and Put Away Tools — You might not think a garden shed full of lawn maintenance tools would attract a burglar, but if you’ve got things like axes, ladders, shovels, etc. in there, they can aid a thief in breaking into your main house. Take a look at the things laying around your yard–could they be used to break a window or gain access to less secure second story windows? If so, lock them up!
10. Don’t Use Hide-a-Keys – Folks always think they’re clever when putting keys under rocks or over door frames. You might as well just leave the key sticking in the door, because burglars are wise to all these “hide a key” devices. If you’re truly afraid you’ll lose the house key and won’t be able to get in yourself, consider getting a biometric door lock (one that is opened by your thumb print) or a touchpad door lock that opens to a number combination (like using an ATM touchpad).

There you go: 10 simple home security upgrades that won’t cost a fortune. Now go out and make your house safe!