Whether you’re moving to a small rental space or just downsizing, deciding what to keep and get rid of can be tough. Help ease your transition and live efficiently with these tips.

1. Get rid of clutter: Sell, donate or give away old furniture and belongings that won’t fit in your new place. Additional items will just make your place look smaller.
2. Don’t skimp on home security: Be sure to have an ADT home alarm system installed in your new place to help give you peace of mind in your new dwelling and unfamiliar neighborhood.
3. Use all your space: Don’t let useful space go to waste. Invest in furniture that has hidden storage spaces like a shelved coffee table or ottoman.
4. Distinguish areas: Group together furniture to create seating areas in an apartment with few walls. This will make your space seem larger and homier.
5. Decorate temporarily: Buy decorations that can be moved or taken down on a whim like wall hangings and floor lamps. This will help you keep from committing to one particular style of décor and ease your transition to another place.

Moving into a new place can be exciting, but just because you’re renting doesn’t mean you should forget about home security precautions that homeowners typically follow.

• Points of entry: All windows and doors should lock properly. Alert your landlord if they are damaged or seem faulty.

• Deadbolt required: A deadbolt that opens with a key from the outside is a must for any home. One on your bedroom door can also slow down an intruder from getting to your valuables inside.

• Lock changes: Some landlords will re-key properties when renters change. If your landlord won’t re-key your lock, it’s worth paying the money yourself to keep a former tenant from burglarizing your home.

• Monitoring services: Some rentals come equipped with a home security system provided by the landlord. Make sure that you know how to use and activate the system.

Feeling safe at home is essential. But  installing your home’s security system on your own isn’t. Don’t hassle with DIY home security systems. Instead, trust the professionals at ADT, which have helped protect American homes and businesses for more than 130 years.

If you still aren’t convinced, check out these reasons why you should let America’s #1 home security provider handle your home alarm system:

• Comprehensive monitoring: Rest easy with home monitoring for police, fire and medical emergencies.

• Around-the-clock monitoring: Security professionals monitor your home 24/7 at four interconnected command centers. You can feel peace-of-mind knowing that these professionals are on the lookout while you’re at work and the kids are at school.

• Simple controls: The system’s digital keypad makes it easy for people of all ages to use and the keychain remote allows you to arm or disarm the system from your driveway or bedside table.

Having peace of mind is something everyone deserves – especially when it comes to home security. Fortunately, ADT home security combines the latest technology with systems that are easy to use for people of all ages. Check out these three features that conveniently help you protect the people and things you value most:

1. Digital keypad: Don’t be fooled by the name. This simple-to-use device is friendly for everyone in the family and can be programmed for one-touch access to police, fire and medical emergency responders.
2. Keychain remote: Easily arm and disarm your system from your driveway – or even your bedside table with this simple keychain.
3. Back-up battery: Blackout? No worries for your home alarm system. ADT features a back-up battery that helps the system continue monitoring your home for hours.

Home alarm systems are one of the most effective ways to make seniors feel comfortable at home. They help protect seniors in the events of intruders, fires or floods, and they also offer personal emergency response systems like the ADT® Companion Service®. Learn more about how you or an older loved one can feel at ease staying at home alone with 24-hour medical monitoring.

How it works:

1. In the case of a fall or medical emergency, press the button on your waterproof necklace or wristband within 300 feet of the monitoring base unit.
2. A Companion Services-trained ADT monitoring professional will speak with you over a voice intercom.
3. The ADT representative can send help if needed in the form of emergency services, a relative or neighbor.

More than most industries, home security technology evolves out of necessity. Customers of companies like ADT expect the latest in home security equipment, and for good reason. After all, there’s nothing more important than keeping your home and loved ones out of harm’s way. Here’s an overview of the latest tech items for home security.

CCTV: Closed Circuit Television provides you with a view of the exterior (and potentially the interior) of your home from anywhere in the world. All you need is a broadband connection and a laptop. The days of peeking through a tiny peephole to determine who’s at the front door are gone. With 21st century technology, you can keep a much closer tab on your property.

Carbon Monoxide Detection: Available as an add-on to your ADT alarm system, a carbon monoxide detector protects you against what safety experts call “the silent killer”. CO2 is tasteless, odorless and you can’t see it. Protect yourself with this powerful technology, recommended by fire departments across the United States.

Keyless Door Locks: If you constantly lose your keys, consider upgrading to a keyless door lock. This useful technology completely eliminates the need to carry around a house key. As an added home security bonus, you can set a temporary code for workers or guests entering your house that expires after a certain period of time. That way, you won’t have to worry about unauthorized people gaining access to your home.

It’s time to update your home security technology. Along with the advanced electronics in your ADT home alarm system, the pieces mentioned above can help to protect your home, before a break-in occurs.

The snow outside your house is rapidly melting, and that means March is on the way. This prelude to the spring time is a great opportunity to get your home security affairs in order. Below, we’ve outlined several ways to boost your home security in the coming month.

Create an Emergency Action Plan: Having a set plan to act upon in the event of an emergency can save lives. Apart from the standard fire safety preparation, talk about a place to meet away from home if a natural disaster should strike, knocking out cell phone service and limiting communications.

Trim the bushes: Warm spring temperatures and melting snow means that you’ll soon have to contend with rapidly sprouting grass. This and other shrubbery make for excellent hiding spots for burglars and intruders, which can turn into a home security nightmare.

Talk to an ADT Specialist: If your home isn’t currently under the protective shield of an ADT home alarm system, contact a representative of the company to find out your options. If you are an ADT customer, call to find out what new options are available to make your home even more secure.

Change the Locks on Your Front Door: This should become an annual event, and there’s no better time than March. Throughout the hustle and bustle of daily life, you likely give you a key to a neighbor, housekeeper or friend. Who knows whether someone’s written your address on a tag, and then lost the key? Eliminate the possibility of a break-in by changing the lock cylinders.

Home security is an ongoing battle, but choosing a set date to focus on it will help you focus. Take a day in March to get yourself back on track to keeping your family safe.

Single parents have their own unique set of challenges when it comes to keeping their kids safe. There’s often no one that can provide a second opinion for home security decisions. Below, we’ve outlined ten tips for you to think about as you take steps to improve your child’s safety both inside and outside of the home.

Avoid Busy Bus Stops: A ball rolling into the street, forgotten glances both ways: there are any number of things that can go wrong while your child waits for the bus. If your child’s bus stop is in a busy spot, have them wait in the car, or drive them to school.

Have a Serious Talk About Home Security: Your son or daughter is old enough to hear the basics of home security. Tailor it to their age, but make sure to remain serious, impressing upon them how important home security is.

Install a Keypad Lock: Kids lose keys all the time. With the installation of a keypad lock, you can greatly reduce the chance of your child being locked out of your home.

Enlist the Family: Make Grandpa and Grandma and aunts and uncles part of your home security solution. Every little bit helps, and you’ll likely find that they’re happy to lend a hand.

Install an ADT Home Alarm System: No other home security provider in the industry has the experience and know-how that ADT offers. Their systems are so easy to learn that a child can be taught how to operate the control panel.

Cover Sharp Edges: Furniture often has sharp edges that can injure young children running around the house. Tape up pieces to avoid lacerations.

Get a Dog: Apart from the joy that a dog can bring into your home, there are real home security advantages that come along with a canine. Criminals will move to the next street when they hear the faintest bark, unwilling to contend with what could be a vicious pet.

Arrange Daycare: You don’t need to pay for someone to watch your children. Instead, set up a schedule with the parents of your children’s friends, saving everyone money and making sure that there is always an adult to supervise.

Add Carbon Monoxide Coverage: ADT home alarm systems offer optional carbon monoxide coverage. This silent killer is responsible for thousands of deaths each year; make sure your home is protected.

Plug Electrical Outlets: If you have younger children in your home, place cheap protective covers over electrical outlets to lower the risk of electrocution.

The installation of an ADT monitored home alarm system is a great way to immediately improve the security of your property, but there are additional measures you can take to improve key home security issues. Below, we’ve listed a few relatively easy Do-it-Yourself tips that can be taken care of in one afternoon.

Change Your Locks: Home security experts recommend changing your locks once every two years if you’re a homeowner, and more frequently if you rent. You give out your home keys more than you might think; friends, family members and even the occasional repairman all may have been past recipients. That’s not counting the folks who may have accessed your key (and potentially made a copy) without you knowing.

Plant Some Prickly Bushes: Landscaping is fun, adds value to your home and creates something beautiful that you can be proud of. It can also be a burglar’s worst nightmare. Strategically placed rose bushes under first floor windows block access to entry points, enhancing your home security.

Install Floodlights: Thieves thrive in darkness. It provides them with the cover they need to perform recon on your home. Eliminate the possibility of them skulking through the night by installing motion sensing floodlights around the periphery of your home. They’re available at your local hardware store, putting them up is a cinch, and they’ll offer a great deal of bang for the buck.

Remove Your Hide-a-Key: Many homeowners place a key under a mat or air conditioning unit for ease and convenience in case they find themselves locked out. The trouble is, burglars know that too. By leaving a key exposed, you open yourself up to an increased risk of a break-in. If you’re the kind of person that frequently forgets their keys, consider installing a door lock with a fingerprint reader or digital keypad.

The tips above are the perfect supplement to your home security system. They’re easy, inexpensive, and can all be finished today, so get started right away!

When it comes to home security, there is a certain something to be said about strength in numbers. There are several components that come together to determine how well-protected your property is. The easiest to value are physical, like home alarm systems or improved bolt locks on all doors. Then there are the “intangibles”, things that can’t be boiled down to statistics and data.

One of the most powerful things you can do under this second category comes with the establishment of a neighborhood watch group. Your house, as it stands, is just one part of a larger community. By bringing the other homes in your neighborhood into a collective security agreement, you ensure that crime won’t have a chance of taking hold.

Start small: invite your neighbors into your home for a short meeting about home security. This will likely be a get-together that people will be very willing to attend. Compose a short agenda, talking about the major points of home protection, such as the importance of maintaining lawns, locking doors, and reporting suspicious behavior around the neighborhood. Talk to your local police department; they will likely be thrilled to send out an officer to talk to the group.

A neighborhood watch group is especially important for maintaining home security while you’re away on vacation. Let your friends in surrounding homes know of your vacation plans ahead of time. That way, if they spot something out of the ordinary, they can take the appropriate steps to stop a crime before it happens.

Security and safety start inside your house with concrete measures like the installation of an ADT monitored home alarm system, but it doesn’t stop there. With the help of the other property owners that live in your neighborhood, you can keep your home even better protected from intruders.