You want to protect your home, and the people in it. That goes without saying.

Still, did you know that you could be making some very common mistakes that make your home a relative easy target for burglars? A great first step to improving your home’s security is to look at it through the eyes of a criminal and ask yourself these questions:

• Are there any areas around my home that would allow a bad guy to break in without being seen?

• Is my house well-lit at night?

• Are any doors or windows unlocked? Can valuables easily be seen from the street?

• Do our daily routines make it easy for a burglar to figure out the best time to hit my house?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re got some work to do, starting with these common-sense home security tips:

• Install window and door shades to make it a little more difficult to see if someone is home.

• Upgrade locks on all doors and windows and keep them locked when you’re not home or going to sleep. Choose an exterior door solution that includes a grade 1 deadbolt.

• Set interior lights and TVs on timers to create the illusion that someone is home even when they’re not.

• Install motion-controlled outdoor lighting.

• Trim back overgrown plantings to prevent intruders from hiding behind shrubs while prying open a door or window.

• Keep garage doors and sheds closed even when you’re at home. Otherwise, thieves can spot items they may want to steal later.

• Keep car doors locked and windows closed at all times and never leave valuables in plain sight.

• Put home improvement tools and ladders away. Otherwise, a burglar could easily use a ladder to access an unlocked upper story window, or use a hammer to pry bar to gain access into your home.

Also, if you don’t already have a home burglar alarm system, now might just be the time. At Now Security, we custom design each system, one at a time, for residential and commercial applications. We even have our own app that allows you to keep an eye on things with your phone or tablet from from any place with a Wi-Fi connection. Contact us today for a no-obligation quote on a burglar alarm system, or to discuss switching your current system over to Now Security Systems.