You should take this home security test to determine just how safe your home is:

• Do you mark your valuables with your driver’s license or identification number?

• Do you have an inventory list of serial numbers and descriptions of your valuables such as jewelry, televisions, stereos, appliances, etc.?

• Are all entrances (doors and windows) to your home well lighted?

• Is your landscaping trimmed so it does not conceal any part of your doors or windows?

• Are all exterior doors secured by a dead-bolt lock?

• Are all sliding glass doors and windows secured with key locking devices and pins to prevent removal?

• Do gates surrounding your yard have sturdy locks on them?

• Do you plan ahead so you do not have to leave a key under the mat or other obvious hiding places?

• Is there a peephole viewer on your front door?

• Are your interior lights, radios and televisions on timers to make it look like you are home when you are not?

Every “no” response to a question on this checklist points to a weakness in security that could improve a burglar’s ability to break in without being detected. By eliminating problem areas, you can greatly decrease the risk of being an easy target for a burglar and increase your home security.

It is important to remember that even by eliminating all risks, no home is burglar-proof. The object of the home security checklist is to reduce the risk of being burglarized by reducing easy opportunities.

1. If there is need for emergency make sure your house number is clearly noticeable, so that an emergency service could find your house easily.
2. Make sure that all garage doors are locked after you have left the house
3. If there is a door which connects the garage to the house, it should be made of solid wood or metal and secured with a strong lock and dead bolt.
4. Let the garage, shed and property gates are fully secured after each use. If it is necessary, buy more secure locks.
5. Your garage door should be fitted with a strong security lock which is preferably secured to the floor
6. If you have expensive gardening equipment, such as lawn mowers, they should be locked away.
7. Get used to always locking your car door when you get back home at night.
8. If there are ladders in your garage, let them all be secured or locked away. Besides, don’t allow drain pipes be easily accessible to the upper floors.
9. In case you have locked yourself out, fix any weaknesses, which can make a burglar get easily inside.
10. Let the shrubs, trees and bushes are trimmed, so that a burglar couldn’t hide.
11. Leave any outdoor lighting switched on in the evening
12. It is safe to lock bicycles and motorbikes.
13. Make an installation of exterior security floodlighting that works with a motion sensor
14. Take into consideration security window bars if you think your windows could be smashed in order to gain access to your house.
15. Use a high security window lock to secure every window in the house
16. Check for rotting window frames and replace if there is need for it.
17. Never leave the doors unlocked even if you go out for a couple of minutes and especially at night.
18. Give extra keys to a neighbor you can rely on and never leave them under the front doormat or in a flowerpot.
19. Your external doors should be of solid hardwood or metal construction. Glass panels should be reinforced. Set a peephole to see who is at the door.
20. Let a deadbolt lock be set into the frame of the door.
21. Make sure you have emergency telephone numbers next to your telephone.
22. If you use interior timers for your lamps, it will leave the impression that someone is at home.
23. During your vacation, cancel any deliveries and papers
24. Keep firearms security locked in an appropriate firearms cupboard. This should be fitted with a trigger guard lock.
25. Keep all your valuables in a security safe or deposit them in a bank
26. Tell a trustworthy neighbor that you are going on holiday, so they can watch over your property.
27. Take digital photos of your possessions and valuables and transfer them to DVD. Put the DVD in a bank safety deposit box. Keep an up to date inventory of all of your staff.
28. Mark all valuable items, such as your computer, TV, Hi-Fi with a security code which is recognized by your local police.
29. Let the alarm be activated when you leaving your property.
30. Ensure that your whole family is aware of an evacuation procedure in case there is an emergency such as fire.