Security Essentials Blog

Imagine a home that knows your daily routine and schedule. Blinds automatically open in the morning, lighting adjusts as you move from room-to-room and appliances know when you need them. Smart homes, or homes equipped with automation systems make this possible. For some, home automation systems are seen as a luxury, but for the elderly, impaired, or disabled, home automation provides a sense of security, and independence in the luxury of their own home.

The sun is shining and the snow is melting, Spring is finally here! Time to drag out the grill and enjoy the outdoors. Sounds amazing, but before you start enjoying fun in the sun it's obvious that a little spring cleaning is due. Landscaping, painting, repairs and lots of cleaning is a perfect way to make your home shine, and it's also a great opportunity to build onto the security of your home. Studies show the number of burglaries rise with the temperature, so be sure to clean with the security of your home and family in mind.

Punxsutawney Phil wasn't playing when he predicted six more weeks of winter. Spring is now slowly, fingers crossed, approaching and if you are like thousands of other Kentuckians, you may be celebrating with a sunny beach vacation or plans to follow the Cats this tournament season. Either way, you deserve to relax and enjoy your time away. Unfortunately, while you are planing your getaway, thieves are often hard at work targeting the homes of people, like you, who will be away on vacation. So while you are fantasizing about sandy beaches or hanging another banner, there is one thing that you do not want to forget about: keeping your home safe!

Every year burglaries are becoming more common, luckily so are home security systems, but beware not all security systems are created equally. In many cases, you get what you pay for, but in the security market this rule-of-thumb doesn't always apply. Some companies make offers that seem to good to be true and in many cases they are, sticking you with a never-ending contract and outrages hidden fees. When shopping for a security system it's important to know what you are paying for and equally important to know what a security system can do for you. Home security systems protect your family and possessions, increase the value of your home and can even save you some cash!

When you think about the security of your home you may think about alarm systems, motion detectors, and dead bolts, but did you know that your lawn can be your first line of defense? In fact, landscape design is one of the biggest factors that burglars take into account when deciding whether or not they should break into your home. The ideal home for a burglar is one they can get into and out of easily and quickly without being seen. Keep this in mind and your landscape can help defend your home from intruders instead of inviting them in.

You finally decide to clean those gutters but you couldn't get the job done in one afternoon so you decide to finish in the morning, leaving the ladder to save some time. No harm done right? Wrong! To the common thief, that same ladder is an invitation to enter your home through a possible unlocked second floor window. Let's face it, we are all human and we are going to make mistakes, but some mistakes have greater consequences than others and burglars are in the business to benefit from such mistakes. The following are 10 common home security mistakes we all make.

Right now could you list everything in your home and it's value? Now consider the same question under the stress of a devastating loss due to a burglary, fire, flood, or other natural disaster. Even if you do manage to recall most of your belongings, how confident are you that your current insurance policy will cover your loss? Unfortunately, these are the first questions you will be forced to answer when filing a claim, under such unfavorable circumstances. An accurate home inventory, or complete list of all of your belongings in your home and their value, can help determine if you have the right insurance protection, and in the event of a loss, it can make filing a claim easier.

If a fire starts in your home, you may have only minutes or seconds to escape. Would you be able to react in time? Would your children or others in your home know what to do? If you can not answer a confident 'yes', it's not too late to get prepared. Home fires do not discriminate. They can start anytime of the day, week, or year, to homes large or small. Although not all home fires can be prevented, being prepared is the best way to ensure the safety of your family.

The electricity goes out and now you are stumbling around in the dark looking for your phone and any light source you can find. You finally find a flash light but when you find your phone you realize that the battery is dead. If the power is out for only a few hours you will be fine but what if it is out for a day or more, are you prepared? Power outages are inconvenient any time of the year but when winter weather is the cause, wide-spread, long-term outages can be devastating, dangerous and even deadly. The peace of mind that comes from being prepared for a winter storm ahead of time cannot be measured. You won't have to fight the crowds at the grocery and hardware stores, and more importantly you will not be sitting in the dark, cold, hungry or thirsty.

Congratulations, all of your hard work has finally paid off. You have successfully survived the paperwork trail and inspections, now you are the proud owner of your dream home. Take a moment to enjoy your accomplishments because now a new "to do list" awaits. There's packing, unpacking, decorating, putting up curtains, grocery shopping, etc. It can be overwhelming to say the least, but while you are distracted by your endless list you could be neglecting what matters most, your safety and security. Burglars know that new homeowners can be distracted during their move, add the following to the top of your list to ensure that your family and new home are safe and secure.