Home security is a matter that everyone should take to heart. It's not just the bad areas of town that contain criminal elements. Property crimes especially break-ins and robberies are on the rise. Frequently it's young adults looking for some quick and easy money who have no qualms entering a home that is not theirs and taking what they can get away with. Too many homeowners make their homes easy targets by not being more careful. It's incredibly easy to become complacent and careless about your home. Here are some things you should take into consideration when assessing your home security situation.

Take a look at your doors. Are they really that sturdy? Have you kept the old locks on them? If this is the case you probably want to consider replacing them altogether or at least reinforcing them. Many thieves can get in simply by kicking down the door. Prevent this from happening by getting heavy duty strike plates and solid deadbolt locks with reinforced metal strike boxes. These are quite inexpensive and you can usually find them at your local hardware store. Make sure that the deadbolt lock has at least one inch long screws. Use three inch screws to mount the strike box and plates.

Keep in mind that many door locks are rated and certified by home security companies and authorities. Look for locks that are approved by home security experts. Some locks cannot withstand a kick-in, while some can. It's best to address both issues and pick a heavy duty lock and strike plates. Safe is better than sorry, after all.

Make sure that all glass areas are secure. This entails assessing the glass panels on any doors and applying a protective security film over them. Some security films can resist blows of up to 400 pounds according to the manufacturers. Anti-glass break film is definitely a good investment. You may even want to consider installing it on sliding doors and downstairs windows.

Light up. Make sure your house is well lit up especially around doors, windows and any blind spots. For outdoors, you can purchase motion sensing lights. Solar powered lights are both aesthetically pleasing and cost efficient; if you install many of them, they can provide ample illumination around your home. Security lights should be placed in higher areas so that they can't be easily disabled.

Think about your landscaping. If you have tall plants around your windows and/or doors and also if you have high fences surrounding your property, you may actually be aiding criminals by giving them a place to hide.
Start a neighborhood watch. Two heads are better than one. Multiple sets of eyes are more effective than one. A neighborhood watch is free to organize and you can get help from your local police office. It's a great way to beef up not only your home security, but that of your entire neighborhood.

Purchase a home alarm. Home alarm systems are incredibly affordable these days and they are effective.