A few years ago, you’d have to spend $1,000 or more on a professionally-installed home security system to protect your home and loved ones from prowlers and burglars. Today, however, a new generation of easy-to-install, reasonably priced home security devices are available to help homeowners beat the burglar.

During the next year one in four homes in the United States will be burglarized. Despite the threat of burglary, nine out of ten residences are not protected by home security systems.

Now that low-cost home security products are available, many homeowners are customizing and installing burglary prevention systems for their own specific needs. For less than $100, for example, a motion sensor can be installed to protect the perimeter of a home. The motion sensor detects the presence of heat in motion. When someone crosses its overlapping detection fields, the motion sensor instantly switches on an outdoor light to create the impression that someone is home, even when they aren’t.

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Be aware of who you’re buying a burglar alarm from. One of the problems with home security companies is there are a substantial number of fly by night security agencies popping up. There is very little legislative control over alarm systems.

Police agencies are planning to lobby the government to set up some legislative guidelines regarding the companies who sell the equipment, but in the meantime, it remains a buyer beware market.

Find out if they’re reputable. A lot of them look in the papers to see what homes have been broken into, then they contact the owners to see if they want to buy a home security system.

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