Cheap, improvised home security ideas?

Question

Does anyone have any suggestions?

It's something i have to knock up in one night.

Answer 1

If you work outside the home, ask your employer for varied lunch hours and work hours for a short term time if possible.

Ask a friend that has an alarm company monitoring their home, to get a few extra stickers from their company for your windows (a legitimate company is more believable than phony stickers)

Call your local police and ask them to schedule drive bys by the different police shifts. They are usually happy to assist and this sends a HUGE message to intruders that you are aware of them and that the police are too. In fact, intruders often conclude that you might even know their identity already and this can really scare them off.

DOG IN A CAN--if you don't have a dog of your own, get a "dog in a can" system (about $25) that will go off by motion detection. These are now greatly improved and sound realistic. Additionally, it will arouse neighbors to the fact that something outside is amiss and needs to be checked out.

Install real OR phony (lest costly) video cameras outside on the eaves of your home. Potential burglers will not know whether or not your home is being monitored and recording their face for a future courtroom date.

Dead bolts on every door, a security system if possible along with breakage alarms. Most homes only need 2 or 3 of these now due to increased technology that allows them to work for the whole house.

And of course, light timers. You can even get timers for your switch plate lights at Home Depot. Make sure you put one on the TV as well.

Clean out the garage if you have one and use it! Don't let a potential theif know whether or not you are home.

Ask a neighbor that has an extra car, to start parking in your driveway in the spot closest to your front door.

Tell your mailman to keep a watch out too.

FINALLY, a friend of ours who is a cop told us that this is what ALWAYS does in his house: He puts a glass of water or cup of coffee along with a ten dollar bill on tables near entry points of his home--front door, back door, kitchen sink if near the garage etc.

The FIRST thing he ever does when he or his family enters the home is to check and see if that money is still there. If not, leave the house immediately! He said a burgler will never leave a free $10 or $20 in a house. Leaving it by a cup indicates that it was absentmindedly set down and won't be missed and that it wasn't planted.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

Think about this. If you have ever seen the results of a robbery where some one has forced there way through an entry door , notice that 9 times out of10, the door was fairly intact. It all most always happens that the door jam is busted out. The reason for this is the two little half inch screws that came in the lock set package to hold the striker plate in place. The remity for this is to replace these tiny ,do nothing, screws with a pair of two and a half or three inch construction screws that will go all the way through the jam and into the two by four backer stud. Now when some fool tries to force his shoulder through your door lets hope he breaks his arm.

Answer 5

okay. Bake something, that always works. If you don't want to do that you could always knit a scarf or hat for someone. Or you could decorate a T-shirt with fabric markers and cut it up a bit to look edgy and cool. Or use paint/photoshop to make a collage of pictures for someone like a friend and print it on nice paper. Then all you really need is a frame or something. You can also make bookmarks, pillows, or even just a book with funny quotes and good times you had with friends. It's something they will always remember and have! I hope that helps!

Answer 6

I use Simplisafe and love it. 2 medium sized dogs. Security camera system, window decals and Neighborhood Watch signs. I keep all the interior doors closed when our family LEAVES the house. It makes the thief unsure who might be behind every closed door and slow him down IF he got into my house. If you leave doors open in the house it makes it that much easier for a thief to quickly glance into rooms from the hallway. When notified by my security system or cameras I'm minutes away and will show up with my Springfield XDS! Don't rob my house!

Answer 7

Certainly one can purchase quality locks, deadbolts, window locks, window films that discorage breakage; keep exterior lights on at night and an interior light on when not at home at night, or have various timers on lights in the house that turn on and off. Even an ADT sign stuck in the lawn or a decal on windows.

Personally I prefer large; often hungry; dogs.

I guess CHEAP is relative to what you're trying to protect.

Answer 8

If someone wants in your house bad enough they will find away to get in, other than a good security alarm a loaded shot gun and a 357 Magnum you are pretty much on your own, sometimes even after the police arrive!!!! The sound of a shot gun with the shell loading into the chamber will usually make someone think twice......

Answer 9

12 ga with a short barrel loaded with 00 buck. Pick up a used pump at a gun shop for $100.

Answer 10

the cheapest and most effective way i have found is a adt sign and stickers in your windows this will be enough to keep most thiefs from entering your house