Safeguard a Home Without an Alarm

It's important to feel safe and comfortable in your own home. There are many ways to safeguard your home that are quite expensive, but there are also cheaper alternatives. If you follow the steps below, you will be able to make your home safe from intruders without having to invest in an expensive security system.

Steps

  1. Buy a deadbolt for your door. The more locks, the better!
  2. If you have a spare key, be sure that it's well-hidden. Don't "hide" your spare key above the door-frame or under the doormat. Instead, put it someplace less obvious.
  3. Look for long rods that you can jam in-between your doorknob and floor below, thus preventing intruders from being able to open the door from the outside while in place. These can be purchased, or you can make them yourself.
  4. If you have sliding-glass doors, or windows that slide open, insert broom handles or long pieces of wood at the base of each door and window, along the track that your door or window slides on. This will make them impossible to open. Just hope they don't break the window.
  5. Put a lamp or light on a timer, so that it turns on and off even when you are not home. This will give a potential-intruder the impression that somebody is home. A burglar is less likely to enter a home if he or she thinks that there's a chance of being caught, arrested, or hurt in the process.
  6. Consider keeping weapons around your home, just in case you need to defend yourself. Baseball bats and sharp sticks work well. Firearms work well, too, as they are effective even from a distance; but keep in mind that owning a firearm creates a whole new set of risks. Be sure that you know what you are doing if you opt to keep firearms around your house, and keep them well out of the way of young children.
      • Remember that even your own weapons can be taken from you, and used against you. Above all, be careful, and be sure that you receive proper training.
  7. Put tape on your doors and windows. This will alert you to whether or not anybody is opening your doors and windows without you knowing. If someone is periodically entering your home, there's a good chance that they'll attempt to do so again.
  8. Buy small, screw-type locks for your sliding windows, in order to prevent intruders from opening your windows all the way.
  9. Consider setting up some tripwires. A tripwire is a string or fishing line, tied to a stick or a pole just above the ground, that causes a passerby to trip. These are often placed at the tops of staircases. Attaching noise-making devices (e.g. bells, chimes, etc.) to the tripwires will audibly warn you of intruders.
  10. Consider getting a guard dog or watchdog. Dogs are great pets, but they can also be great security systems.
  11. If you are worried about somebody hopping over your back fence, buy some clear packing tape and a box of thumbtacks. Tape the tacks onto the top of the fence, facing upwards. If an unsuspecting intruder grabs the top of the fence, he will get a handful of tacks. This will injure him, dissuade him from attempting to do the same thing again, and probably make him wonder what other sorts of booby traps you might have set up around your house.

Tips

  • If you choose to buy a gun as a security measure, be sure that you take shooting and gun-safety lessons. Be familiar with all laws pertaining to firearms in the State/Province/Country in which you live.
  • Pepper spray or mace is another effective defense weapon. It doesn't require physical strength or much skill and can be used somewhat at a distance. It's ideal for anyone, especially small or young women. Also you don't have to worry about seriously injuring or killing the intruder and there is no required permit or law complications either. They are cheap and available at many stores or even online.
  • Pepper spray or mace is another effective defense weapon. It doesn't require physical strength or much skill, so it's ideal for anyone. Also, a permit is not needed.

Warnings

  • Be aware that a "booby trap" set up in your home can be a hazard to the "good guys", too. There is a good chance that you will cause unwanted injury to family members, members of the police force, and even yourself, particularly with trip wires or sharp objects on the fence.
  • In some countries (such as the UK), if someone is in your house, e.g. a burglar, and they are fleeing the scene, using your gun on them is illegal as it will not be considered self defense. If they were to be shot and killed, you could be put in prison for murder.
  • Never use actual "booby traps". These can severely injure and/or kill people, and they are illegal to own and to use. Your goal is to protect yourself, not to harm intruders in creative ways.
  • Consider all children and pets that may explore your home before leaving any type of weapon openly accessible.

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