Building a budget security system

With a few low-cost locks, tricks and gadgets your home can be as secure as any other. These tips will help you keep your home secure without having to break the bank for a security system.

• Hook and eye locks can be used on front and back doors, doggy doors and even the access panel to your attic. Consider all the ways people can get inside your home and make sure they're secured with one of these handy devices.
• Many times, if a house isn't easy to get into, a thief will just move along to the next. This means that spending just a few dollars and a few minutes on basic hook and eye locks can save you thousands.

• An beneficial old trick known amongst law enforcement personnel is the placing of security system signs on your property.
• Once again, burglars are looking for low-hanging fruit. If they think they'll be caught on camera or will have an alarm to contend with, most criminals will simply move along to a house that's easier to break into.

• Seasoned burglars know that security stickers and signs are sometimes not legitimate, but even they are more likely to move on from a house with security camera domes placed around its exterior. These small and cheap half globes attach to the soffit of your roof or in other handy places. Because they're often tinted, it's impossible to see whether they actually contain cameras or not.
• For under $20, you can successfully protect your home from all but the boldest of burglars by setting up fake video surveillance equipment.

• Placed in front of exterior entrances, door stop alarms look like traditional door stops. The difference is a pressure sensitive panel that, when touched, activates a high-pitched alarm.
• If someone manages to get your door open, it won't be long before pressure is applied to the door stop and the would-be burglar is running for the hills and scrambling to get away before the police arrive.

• For under $50, you can purchase a sturdy, easily portable password-protected motion alarm. These can be fastened to walls near entrances using screws or Velcro tape.
• If anyone walks past, they emit a pulsating alarm capable of waking up sleeping homeowners and quite possibly their neighbours. By entering a pass code in time, you can prevent the alarm from sounding, making these a great option for people who work late.
• If you have a curious pet, though, it's important to place the unit where it won't be a temptation.