Our homes are our castles, so it’s not a surprise that we need to feel safe and secure in them.

But with nearly 30,000 home burglaries and more than 250,000 property crimes committed in Victoria alone each year, it is vital that we do what we can to protect our homes and personal belongings.

Installing a security system is one of the best ways to feel confident that your home and its contents are secure -plus it can help to lower your insurance premiums too.

But there are other ways that you can protect your home that are arguably more effective in warding off burglars.

Keep in mind that if a professional burglar has his eye on your property, there is not a great deal you can do to protect your home, save ensuring your insurance is up to date. But for amateur thieves, keen to grab and flee quickly, there are ways you can make them think twice before attacking your property.

Here are a few tips to get started:

• Try to break in and enter your own home. This will help you discover any security weaknesses – windows left unlocked, tools left lying around, concealing shrubbery, garage doors left open.
• Fit deadbolts on outside doors. These should only be deadlocked when you are not home, for safety in case you need to exit quickly. Fit keyed locks to all windows, and have them keyed alike.
• Install a steel security door with a deadlock. Use mesh that allows you to see out, but visitors unable to see in.
• Always lock up your house, even if you go out for a short time. This includes locking windows and the garage.
• Change the locks when you move into a new house.
• Use timers to switch on lights and radios to give the impression that someone is always home.
• If you lose your keys, change your locks immediately.
• Don’t leave the spare key under the mat, the pot plant, or hanging on a nail by the shed.
• Don’t leave notes for people on the door – this is an obvious way to announce your absence.
• Install outdoor lights with an automatic motion sensor to illuminate when someone approaches.
• Cut back any shrubbery that conceals the front door.
• Dogs are a great deterrent, with "beware of the dog" signs on fences useful to make an intruder stop and think.
• Don’t lend your keys to tradespeople.
• Install a safe to protect your valuables.
• Make an inventory of your valuables and receipts to make claiming insurance easier.

Security alarms

Despite all these precautions, some people still prefer the confidence of having a security system installed.

While a security system can give you peace of mind, it can also be a bit of a headache. Coupled with the costs of hiring an alarm monitoring firm, installing a home security system will involve regular checking and servicing – your neighbours will quickly learn to ignore a false alarm.

When installing, conceal the wiring to deter intruders from disconnecting the service, and when programming it, make allowances for pets to be able to move freely throughout the house without setting it off. In addition, your alarm should have a battery-backup, a flashing light and siren and must reset itself after a few minutes.

You will need to remember to turn it on and off each time you leave the house, and be mindful that the police will not always attend alarms, unless they have additional information about possible offenders in your area.

Because a blast from an alarm should be sufficient to deter most intruders, think carefully before committing to a pay-by-the-month monitoring system with a security firm.

Many new security systems actually do what a monitoring company does anyway – call or text you when the alarm has been tripped. Other benefits of using the DIY alarm systems is that they allow you to program your alarm including enabling and disabling – from your smart phone. They are wireless, so are easy to install, and you can add components as you need to upgrade. Look online for more information.

There are more than 1000 home security experts listed on Yellow Pages, located right across Australia. If you’ve got a question about protecting your home, call an expert today.