Looking for some simple ways to improve your home security this spring? Help protect your home and deter would-be burglars with these easy tips:

Change Your Smoke Detector Batteries: Smoke detectors are your first line of defense against a fire. They operate whether you’re awake or asleep – as long as they’re equipped with fresh batteries. Take a few moments out of your day to replace the Duracells. For just a few dollars, you can greatly reduce the chance of a catastrophic fire.

Replace Your Door Locks: This is especially important for people who have recently moved into a new, previously rented or owned residence. Changing the locks on all doors prevents people with discarded keys from entering your home. If you don’t have a deadlock bolt – widely regarded as the industry standard – now is the time to upgrade.

Cut the Lawn: Why give criminals the opportunity to lurk and hide away in tall grass? Keep your lawn trimmed, especially in areas close to your home, and consider the installation of prickly shrubbery under low windows.

Change the Garage Code: Experts recommend that you update your garage code at least once every six months. Never pick a code that corresponds to birthdays, anniversaries or social security numbers. With the wide reach of the Internet, criminals have access to an incredible range of information about you and the members of your family.

Along with an ADT home alarm system, the tips above serve to help protect you and your family. With just a couple of hours of work, you can go a long way towards improving your home security.

Condo owners share unique home security concerns. Some of the issues are the same – making sure to keep doors locked, securing windows,and arranging to have mail taken inside while you’re away on vacation.

Other concerns are different, however. Perhaps the main contrast is that all condominiums and buildings are different. It’s necessary to take a close look at your building’s current security measures. Is there a doorman? Do you need a special key to enter the front door? Answering these questions will help you determine your next steps.

Consider installing a home security system. ADT home security offers great deals and their reliable security systems can help keep you and your family safe. You’ll also want to make sure that your lawn is well-maintained. Tall grass and overgrown shrubs provide the perfect hiding spaces for criminals on the prowl doing reconnaissance on your condo. Finally, be certain that the locks on your front door have been changed since the previous condo owner moved out. If you don’t, the person who lived there last has an easy way to access all of your belongings whenever they want; in fact, they can just walk right in.

Apart from the issues above, specific condo security concerns relate to behavior. Don’t give your key to neighbors, and make sure to close the building door behind you, not allowing anyone to follow.

Home security and safety for your condo needs to be taken seriously. Start taking the proper precautions today.

Traveling and experiencing new places is one of the most exciting parts of life. Leaving your home, however, can present a need for increased security. Home security is relatively easy, because you perform the same routine, day after day. For example, each morning when you leave your house or apartment, you arm your ADT home alarm system. When traveling abroad or in the United States, there’s no comparable safety net. Start preparing for your next trip with these top safety tips for travelers.

Research Your Destination: Gather some basic info about where you’re going. If it’s somewhere remotely dangerous, check the State Department’s website for warnings.

Have a Backup Plan: Recent natural disasters in Haiti, Italy, Thailand and Indonesia have shown us that catastrophic events can strike anywhere, anytime. Make sure you have a backup plan at all times in case of emergency.

Carry Insurance: Travel insurance can be a great idea for a big trip. Add to basic coverage with a package that pays for evacuation by helicopter or jet.

Travel With a Friend or Family Member: Help reduce the risk of an accident by traveling with someone else. That’s in addition to the joy you’ll share experiencing new things with someone you care about.

Avoid Alcohol and Drugs: You never want to let your guard down while you’re away from home. Be cautious and avoid drugs and alcohol.

Arm Your Home Security System: Your ADT home alarm system is only effective if it’s armed. Make sure you set the control panel before you leave your property.

Keep Up Appearances at Home: Performing basic home security tasks like having the mail taken in and keeping your driveway shoveled will create the impression that you’re still in your home, which is a huge deterrent to would-be criminals.

Don’t Draw Attention to Yourself: Flashy jewelry and rowdy behavior makes you a target. Remember that you’re not in Kansas anymore, and do your best to blend into the scenery.

Traveling safely is an important extension of home security. Make sure you are focused on safety both inside and outside of the home.

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.

Texas residents are proud of their heritage – and with good reason. People pioneered this state with their own hands, often in the heat of battle. That lineage still rings true today, as more and more Texans become increasingly aware of home security issues.

A responsible homeowner will take into account the following statistics as he or she contemplates home security. According to the 2003 FBI Report of Offenses Known to Law Enforcement, there were more than 25,000 burglaries during the calendar year. If that’s not enough to convince you to bolster your home security, consider that there were also nearly 75,000 larcenies and thefts. These statistics make one thing clear: securing your Houston, Texas home should be a top priority.

So what’s your best option for drastically improving your home security? The most powerful weapon in a homeowner’s arsenal is an ADT home alarm system. For more than 135 years, ADT has helped keep people across the U.S. safe. They lead the home alarm industry in both technology and training, which means that you can be sure your Houston, Texas family has the best protection that money can buy.

Of course, there are other considerations to take into account. Houston homeowners need to always make sure to lock doors and windows, especially when leaving the home. They should also never leave blinds open – visible and expensive items like flat screen televisions and stereo systems are great ways to attract a burglar into breaking into your home.

With basic precautions and the installation of an ADT home alarm, Houston, Texas residents can stem the wave of crime that has recently marked the city. People living in the Lone Star State know what’s truly important, and home security measures are designed to protect those things.

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.

Homeowners across the broader Southwest region have watched as their neighbors go into foreclosure due to lost jobs and inflexible mortgage lenders. Unfortunately, some Phoenix, AZ homeowners may be ignoring their home security during this troubling time. Below, we’ve listed some tips to help you maintain your home throughout the recession.

Create a Neighborhood Watch Group: Talk to the homeowners around you about things you can do to keep up the neighborhood. Discuss group measures to preserve the appearance of the neighborhood, such as mowing lawns of unoccupied homes. It’s important that you show potential burglars that your block is still off-limits.

Install a Home Security System: One of the best ways to combat an intruder is with a home alarm system. Surprisingly affordable, this may be the most important thing you can do for your family and home security.

Change Your Locks: If you live in a rental, it’s important to change the locks when you move in. This is one of the simplest and least expensive home security measures in your arsenal, as well as one of the most effective. You can even ask your landlord to do it for you.

Remove Your Hide-a-Key: It’s amazing how many homeowners leave keys in easily accessible places. Think criminals are too stupid to look under your door mat? Think again. A safer alternative is a keypad door lock, which can be modified to accept a temporary code if you need to let someone in.

Home security for your Phoenix, AZ property has never been more important. Invest in some simple measures today, such as an ADT home alarm system, and you’ll be safe, rather than sorry.

For something as important as the safety of your family, home security often doesn’t rank as high on priority lists as other household routines. That’s a mistake, because nothing can change your life faster than a lapse in the protection of your property. Below, we’ve listed five of the most common mistakes that homeowners make. All can be easily remedied for immediately improved home security.

Unlocked Doors: In their rush to get to school or work, many people leave their front doors unlocked. No matter how safe and secluded you feel your home is, always secure the door, preferably with a deadbolt lock.

Open Blinds: Never leave your blinds open when you’re not home. Why give burglars a view into your house so they can see the value of your possessions?

Unlocked Vehicle: Many people keep garage door openers in their cars, along with information that includes your full home address. A criminal can easily steal these two items and use them to break into your home.

Unruly Landscaping: Aside from the aesthetic value of a nicely kept lawn and landscaping, tall grass gives criminals a place to hide as they scope out your home. Properties with unmowed lawns are also a sign to criminals that you are not home or have been away for a while.

Unarmed Home Alarm Systems: Home alarm systems can go a long way towards keeping your home and family safe…but only if it’s been armed. It takes mere moments to turn the system on using the keypad as you leave your home or go to sleep for the night. Those extra seconds spent turning it on could save your life or prevent your house from being robbed.

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.