Most common home security measures include burglar alarms and home security systems which notify the homeowner of unlawful entry via a monitoring system that detects the intrusion and then alerts the homeowner so he can take corrective steps to protect himself and family.

However, some homeowners sill opt for a more basic security solution that limits access to private property and makes it harder for a burglar to break in. But, is this enough?

Burglary statistics and rising crime rates are hot topics whenever you turn on your TV, so there is no reason not to follow the latest trends in the security industry and move up from basic products to hi-tech, yet affordable, security equipment available on the market.

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The phrase “lock it or lose it” is the simple approach to home security, but the police and local locksmiths have more elaborate hints to making a house more burglar proof.

Here are some basic tips for people trying to make their home and possessions more secure.

The first step is installing quality locks on all exterior doors to the home. The best choice is a deadbolt, but although some deadbolts might look strong, they may still not withstand an effort to break in. A homeowner is best advised to contact the police or a locksmith about what type of deadbolt is best.

Secondly, the homeowner should ensure the home is equipped with solid doors. Hollow core doors are easily broken through. Instead, entrance doors should be steel clad or solid core.

Thirdly, consider installing window bars, especially on basement windows commonly accessed in break-ins. The number of people installing window bars is increasing, but too often, homeowners only react after their first break-in has occurred.

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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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Every home has its share of locks, but until a few years ago, it used to take Ming Dynasty porcelain vases, Picasso sketches and other high-priced, high-visibility valuables for home owners to justify purchasing home security systems.

But a growing rate of burglaries, which now account for nearly 35 percent of all the crimes recorded in the United States, along with fires, has changed the minds of owners of homes both lavish and modest, career-minded families who spend long hours away from home and even senior citizens who worry about being unprotected.

Home security has come a long way in recent years, both in options and prices. Microchip technology has made the newest home security systems even more reliable than that most lovable and popular of home alarms – the big, barking canine and accompanying “Beware of Dog” sign.

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