With the festive season fast approaching, we are left with many decisions and preparations to make before packing our trailers and making our way to our holiday destinations. Ensuring the security of family and property is a key priority at this time.

Statistics clearly show that criminal activity increases during the holiday season and it is therefore imperative for homeowners to take the right precautions and not let their guard down.

There are several handy tips to bear in mind which can help alleviate the risk to family and property. The first and most important step to take is to ensure that your alarm is in working order. People tend to forget that an alarm system, like a car, has parts that age and wear out and therefore should be serviced at least once a year.

Spectacular thunderstorms during the summer months, can also wreak havoc on alarm systems. As a result of this, clients should regularly check their systems in case of lightning damage. Homeowners who have house insurance should also consider that in the event of a burglary, their insurance company will, in all likelihood, question whether they have properly maintained their alarm.

December is traditionally a busy period for security companies, so homeowners should try and test their alarms at least three weeks before going on holiday. Testing should be done anytime (ideally between 0800 and 2000 hours Mon-Fri) and if a fault is discovered, it can be immediately reported to the security service provider’s technical team.

Additional security tips to follow include:

• Advise your security company if you are going away and ensure that you supply all the necessary information regarding nearby emergency contacts, in case of an emergency

• Inform your neighbours of your holiday plans so that they can keep an eye on your property

• Stop all newspaper deliveries and ask a friend or neighbour to collect your post. A bulging post box is a real giveaway that you are not at home

• If hiring a house sitter, ensure that you teach them how to use your alarm correctly

• Double check that you have locked and secured all windows and doors before leaving home

• Ensure that all your outside locks are a minimum of four lever locks or double cylinder security locks

• Never leave a key in the inside of an outer door which has glass panels or glass near the door lock

• Having security gates fitted on outer doors is a highly effective security measure that gives you an extra line of defence

• Sliding doors can be secured simply by placing a piece of timber cut to size in the sliding rail. Make sure that sliding doors cannot be lifted vertically

• Full fencing and sturdy gates are a good deterrent

• Have good exterior lighting, preferably on a timer

• Do not leave ladders, spades or tools outside, as they can be used to break into your house

• Clear signage indicating that you have security also helps to discourage

Burglars

Another important security tip is to be discreet when preparing to go away. People should where possible pack their cars in their garage. Homeowners should also never leave a message on their answering machine stating that they are out of town.

The festive season should be a time of relaxation and giving but let’s ensure that we are not giving our belongings to criminals on a golden platter.

Finding a good home security system is of paramount importance in the dangerous day and time in which we live. You need look no further than the headlines of the latest daily newspaper, television broadcast or Internet news site to read about horrific home invasions and violent crimes that might have been forestalled by a home security system.

Not convinced? Here’s a few statistics that may convince you of the need for a home security system.

- A burglary occurs about every 15 seconds

- Homes without security systems are nearly three times more likely to be broken into than homes with security systems.

- The average loss per residential burglary stands at about $1607.

- Losses due to burglary average nearly $400 less in homes with home security systems than for residences without home security systems.

When you select a home security system, you’re putting the security of yourself and your family in the care of this system, so it’s important to make an informed decision when choosing your home’s protection.

When choosing a home security system, there are four factors you should consider: price, features, service and effectiveness.

Prices vary from home security system to home security system. A general range lies between $100 and $1,000. Some home security providers offer free installation coupled with a monthly fee while others charge a flat price. When picking a home security system, it’s important to ensure the price you’re paying offers a quality security package for your home.

The features your home security system offers should be the main concern you consider when selecting a system to protect your home. Home security systems are primarily divided into indoor and outdoor systems.

Indoor systems are generally used to check for motion inside the home or a security breach at the doors and windows. Outdoor systems monitor movement outside the home and activate security lights if activity is detected. More expensive security systems make use of video recording equipment.

When choosing a home security system, decide on the level of protection you want, make sure the system being offered meets your needs and don’t be afraid to ask questions of your home security system provider.

A home security system is only as good as the company that stands behind it. Before purchasing a home security system, do some research, find out what the average response time is for your home security provider, how often they do equipment checks, warranty information and whether they have a relationship with local law enforcement.

Lastly, before settling on a home security system, check into its effectiveness. Find out specifics about features such as police contact, sensor sensitivity and power outage backup. Ask local law enforcement and public safety officials their opinion of various home security services and also check the Web for customer reviews.

In today’s home security market, there are many home security products that are out there that claim to be the best. Security experts and police officials agree that a home security system that is monitored is probably the best deterrent for a burglary happening in the first place. When you have monitoring plus cutting edge technology protecting a home from break ins and home invasions, you have a superior home security system that offers multiple layers of protection.

The components of a successful home security system work together to provide protection and security for a home. The best home security systems will include the latest innovations in security technology which are highly sensitive to security breaches. This technology includes window and door sensors which can detect when they are open when the alarm system is armed. They can also detect if someone is trying to tamper with a lock, or trying to force a door open or break a window to gain entry. The sensors detect this and immediately set off a high decibel alarm and send a signal to the monitoring center that the security of your home has been breached. If the high decibel alarm has not frightened off the criminals, the monitor will immediately notify police and they will show up hopefully in time to apprehend the suspects and prevent the loss of valuables.

Other cutting edge technology that can be deployed in the home and around the property are smart motion detectors. These motion detectors can pick up any suspicious movements around the home or property and trigger the alarm as well as alert the monitoring center. What is so unique about these smart motion detectors is they can be pre-programmed so they can distinguish between small children and pets and a prowler. This cuts down on the incidences of false alarms and gives you peace of mind knowing that when a motion detector has picked up a suspicious movement, it will sound the alarm immediately. This is yet another layer of protection that works with the sensors and the monitoring to provide superior home security service.

The value of having multiple components working together with live monitoring cannot be underestimated. Many alarm systems have sensors and motion detectors but do not have live monitoring, so when an alarm goes off, you have to depend on neighbors to call the police. This puts you at risk of having your alarm dismissed and burglars getting away with your valuables. With live monitoring, you always know that your alarm will be responded to because the live monitoring is an essential component of the home security system. Live monitors spring into action the moment you alarm system is triggered and contact police who will show up to your location immediately to investigate the alarm.

With the marriage of human ingenuity and high technology, home security systems with live monitoring can provide around the clock protection for your home. In fact, these monitored home security systems can serve as a deterrent against crime from happening in the first place, because criminals are much less likely to break into a home that is protected by a monitored home security system.