Home Security On A Budget

It's a moment we all dread: walking into the house and finding that an uninvited visitor has made off with the valuables. Last year, Americans spent nearly $14 billion on home security systems. CBS This Morning Money Editors Ken and Daria Dolan have some advice to help you save money while securing your home.

The average system costs from $1,200 to $1,300 for installation and from $20 to $25 a month to monitor. But some home security companies will try to sell you an expensive system. In some cases, people can pay for much more security than they need.

The key is to work with a company that will tailor a system to your home and your budget.

Elements that you cannot do without are:

• A central monitoring unit in your house that can sense an intruder coming in through any window or door. When it senses an intruder, it alerts a central monitoring office over a phone line. The office calls you to make sure the alert is not a false alarm. If you're not there to give a password, the office alerts your local police.
  
• A motion detector placed strategically to sense motion over as large an area as possible. These usually go for about $150. You also want them to cover as many windows and doors as possible. (Almost half of all burglaries are committed through front-door entrances.) You should also cover the bottoms of stairways leading to bedrooms, but make sure they cannot accidentally be triggered by the family pet.
  
• You can combine motion detectors with window and door alarms. A metal contact about the size of a quarter is placed at the base of a window or door jamb, making electrical contact with a part on the other side. An alarm triggers if the door or window is opened. Each costs about $60.
  
• If you like to leave windows open and your budget allows it, instead of window alarms you can install special screens that have a wire running through them. These cost about $160 each.

• How long have they been in existence? Get a firm with a track record.
  
• Where is the central office? Make sure the people answering the phone are acquainted with the neighborhood and local streets.
  
• Check with the Better Business Bureau and the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association to make sure the company is reputable and is licensed in your state.

Remember that some of the best security devices have nothing to do with security companies. Here are some of the things you can do to keep burglars at bay:

• Keep hedges around your house low so that burglars can't hide behind them.
  
• Kep lights on timers inside and outside your house.
  
• Stop newspapers from being delivered when you are not home.
  
• Adopt a pet. A dog's bark is an excellent deterrent.

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