Home Security Becoming Major Factor in Home Buying Decisions

Nobodywants to think much about it, but crime can rear its ugly head when youleast expect it. Statistics focusing on crimes committed onprivate property – particularly people’s homes -- are alarming, to saythe lease. And, year after year, they paint a picture that neverreally seems to improve. From simple burglaries to all-out home invasions, no part of the country is immune from these insidious acts.

Andwhile crime will probably always be one of society woes, there arethings people can do to drastically improve their chances of not beinga victim of crime. As this pertains to homeowners, yourmost significant priority should be safeguarding yourselves, your lovedones, and your possessions.

Withthat in mind, there is probably no better investment than the purchaseof a home security system. In fact, according to one estimate, ahome with professionally installed security system in place createssuch a deterrent to would-be criminals stepping foot on your property,that it is three to four times less likely for your home to be brokeninto than a home without one. According to many lawenforcement officials, burglars, who specialize in vandalizing privatehomes, will almost always avoid a home known to be equipped with adecent security system, and target a home without one, instead.

Manyhomebuyers are becoming increasingly sensitive to this issue. Infact, according to some estimates, home security has become one of theprimary considerations influencing buyers’ home purchase decisions --particularly among seniors and families. Many homebuyers evenplace home security ahead of traditionally high-ranking factors, suchas the number of rooms in the home, or price.

Thus, homeowners– those of you who plan to stay put for a while, as well as those whoare considering selling in the near future -- would be prudent to havea security system installed. This would be a very wiseinvestment, not only for the sake of your families and yourselves, butit would display a sensitivity to the needs of current or future buyers– as the case may be -- in light of their concerns over crime.

And,besides taking this significant step in protecting yourself, yourfamily, and your home, a nice extra benefit, according to a growingconsensus among real estate professionals, is that a security systemcan quite possibly add to the resale value of your home at selling time– especially if you make a point to the buyers about the benefits ofincreased protection and peace of mind. In addition, you willalso catch a nice break from your homeowners insurance company – to thetune of about 20 percent.

Another incentive is the cost. Except for the most elaborate of systems, a professionally installedhome security system, which features remote monitoring and subscriberalert functions, is inexpensive to install and maintain. Besides this basic system, some other security devices – depending onyour need for added protection and your budget – are available,including:

Surveillance cameras – inside and outside
Remote monitoring via the internet
Fire or water damage remote detection, via environmental sensors
Systems featuring display screens
Outside security lighting