10 Ways to Monitor the Perimeter of Your Home

Home security involves a lot of precautions, and there are numerous measures you can take to safeguard your family and property. One such measure is to equip your home for perimeter monitoring so that you can be alerted whenever you have company. Let’s take a look at 10 ways you can monitor your home’s perimeter.

1. Video Surveillance – There’s a wide variety of cameras and monitors available, covering a broad range of price and quality. Depending upon available lighting, placement and your budget, you can find complete surveillance systems or individual cameras and monitors to do the job. High resolution, color, and/or infrared capabilities will be more expensive, but the enhanced imaging are worth it. Wireless systems can also be found to simplify installation.
2. Motion Sensors – This is a relatively inexpensive alternative to video monitoring, or can be used as an auxiliary measure. You can purchase units that can be placed in driveways, or on either side of walkways. Whenever a person or vehicle crosses between them, an alert will be activated by a receiver you can mount indoors. Check the effective range before choosing your location for installing it.
3. Window/Door Alarms – Another option that’s easy on the budget is to install window and door alarms that are available in sets at home improvement centers. They can be easily installed so that they will alarm you whenever a door or window is opened.
4. Landscaping – You can improve visibility of your home’s perimeter while making it more difficult for an intruder to reach your home undetected by making some simple adjustments to your property. Keep shrubbery below your line of sight, especially outside windows and along walkways and driveways.
5. Gravel Driveway – A cost-effective and easy way to let you know when someone’s approaching. It’s not likely that you won’t hear someone coming up a gravel driveway.
6. Pets – Dogs are great guardians of their families and property. Consider keeping yours in a pen or kennel between your home and the perimeter where they can do the monitoring for you.
7. Neighbors - Work with your neighbors to form a neighborhood watch. The more sets of eyes you’ve got watching out for you and your home, the safer you’ll be. Watch out for one another, advise your neighbors when you are not at home, if you’re expecting visitors, etc.
8. Lighting – You can find all sorts of lighting options, from solar-powered to photo-sensitive, and combined with motion sensors. The best way to monitor your perimeter is to keep it well-lit, unobstructed and visible.
9. Fencing – Wherever possible and practical, using fencing to limit access to your property is a good option. It doesn’t have to be a cyclone chain-link type with razor wire. All you’re looking for here is something that channels traffic into certain easy-to-monitor areas and still looks attractive.
10. Bells/Chimes – A good old-fashioned and homey way of letting you know when you’ve got company. They’re decorative as well as functional, providing the alert you need while adding some rustic appeal when attached to your entrance doors.

Home security doesn’t have to mean paying for a professional installation if that’s not in your budget. It doesn’t require turning your home into a compound either. You can create a safe yet attractive home environment without costing you an arm and a leg.

(source:homealarmmonitoring.org)

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