The Charleston, South Carolina area is a great place to live or have a vacation home. The weather is great, the beaches are fantastic, golf courses are abundant, there are many historical sites, the architecture is unbelievable, the dining is unbeatable, and the people are the friendliest in the country. It is because of these reasons that I believe Charleston SC Real Estate is truly unique. I look forward to helping you with any of your Charleston SC Real Estate needs in Charleston, Berkeley, or Dorchester counties. Today’s article is is from a guest author, Dean Rommes, with Charleston Security Systems, LLC.
Charleston Home Security: 7 Quick Things You Can Do To Keep Yourself Protected
By: Dean Rommes, Charleston Security Systems, LLC
Charleston, South Carolina is one of the most beautiful and culture-rich areas to live in the U.S.; from its historic downtown area to the wonderful surrounding beaches and landmark sites.
Like any large city in America, however, there are always going to be people on the wrong side of the law looking to take from you what you worked so hard to gain, via home burglaries.
As a home security systems company in Charleston, we at Charleston Security Systems are constantly at work raising home security awareness for our clients and the rest of the low country alike. Here are 7 quick tips that will help keep yourself protected:
- Eliminate Hiding Places Around Your House
Trees and shrubs can give your property’s landscape a great look, but they also can be potential hiding spots for criminals. Does this mean that you have to get rid of all of your greenery? Not at all; just be tidy with your trimming and ensure that a would-be burglar would be visible to a neighbor no matter where they try to hide.
- Install Better Outdoor Lighting
Crooks don’t like to be seen, obviously, so make sure anyone can see them – even at night. All entrances to your home should have proper lighting as well as any other darker areas on your property. Also, make sure your number address is properly lit, so that if someone does observe someone trying to enter your home or acting suspiciously, they can quickly tell the police your exact address.
- Always Give The Appearance of Being At Home
When you’re not home, (i.e. at work or vacation) try to keep a few lights on, along with your T.V., C.D. player or radio; these will help give the appearance that you’re home. Burglars would rather steal from an empty house than a house with people that would call the police if seen.
- Plan Ahead Before Going On Vacation (and keep quiet about it)
We all like going on vacation. Burglars would love to have you go on vacation, in fact. Arrange to have your mail picked up by a neighbor. Invite a friend or family member to house-sit for you. Keep a car parked outside your house.
Also, keep quiet about going on vacation as much as possible, particularly on social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter – someone may be watching your posts, looking for the perfect time to burglarize your home.
- Reinforce Locks, Windows and Patio Doors
If you are moving into a new house, one thing that often goes overlooked in the buying process is the integrity of the door and window locks. Replace any locks you think may be outdated or weakened by age. Window locks may be present, but were they made with home security in mind, or were they made with design or vanity in mind? Do your patio doors use a wood or steel bar to block the doors from being forced open?
If you’re not sure how to answer any or all of these questions, most security companies offer free home inspections to help you identify any weak spots in your house’s defense.
- Install A Security System (With A Alarm Monitoring Service)
Installing a home security system can increase the likelihood that your home won’t be broken into. Having window stickers and lawn signs that have your home security company’s logo may make burglars think twice about breaking into your home as it increases their chances of getting caught.
Home security systems include window and door sensors (for forced entry), motion detectors (to detect any unwanted movement in your house) and glass break detectors (to pick up any sound that sound like a window has been broken). All of these sensors, when triggered, will send a signal to a main alarm panel in your house which will, if your security system is being monitored by an alarm monitoring service, alert the authorities that your house is being robbed.
Most companies force you to sign 2 or 3 year contracts for monitoring services, however there are some companies (including Charleston Security Systems) that allow you to pay month-to-month, with no contract.
- Install A Security Camera System
With the advances of online platforms and mobile applications, you can now watch your home from anywhere you have access to the internet – with the installation of a home security camera system.
Install cameras inside and outside of your house and, via secure internet connection, you can log onto your system and view, in real time and playback, your home. Today’s security camera systems also come with mobile applications that allow you to monitor your home, right on your smartphone or tablet PC.
Conclusion
As we said in the beginning of this post, Charleston is a wonderful place to live and is filled with several great and safe homes, neighborhoods and communities that we’ve been helping protect for years now. If you can follow the above quick steps for home security in Charleston, you too can enjoy the sights of the Low Country – and always feel safe doing it.
Bio: Dean Rommes is the founder and owner of Charleston Security Systems, LLC. They provide complete home and business security solutions to the Low Country including security systems, alarm monitoring services and video surveillance systems. www.charlestonsecuritysystems.net
As always, your thoughts, questions, or comments are greatly appreciated.
Let me know if I can help with any of your Charleston SC Real Estate needs or questions.
See Charleston SC Real Estate Blog for local attractions and current Charleston events.
Look at Charleston SC Real Estate homes anywhere in the tri-county area.
View my entire inventory of VisualTours of Charleston SC Real Estate homes at http://www.visualtour.com/inventory.asp?U=182210
Sincerely,
"Carolina Joe" Idleman
http://www.charlestonscrealestateforsale.com
