Home Security Survey – Why?

What is it?

A home security survey is a checklist of sorts that charts your home and neighborhood, and reveals any weak points that your home might have, with security in mind.

The thing is, most of us aren’t that concerned with home security. Until something bad happens, that is. Best case scenario might be an attempted burglary, while the worst case scenario is…well… the worst. Taking measures to prevent crime only after it has happened is unfortunately the standard procedure for most people, and even most societies. There’s no need for your home to suffer under this, though – there are steps that you can take to secure your home.

What should you do?

First of all, you should see if the company where you work has a security department evolved enough to offer this service to employees. Large companies more and more often offers this service to executives, so if you’re not one of those, you might have to pay for it, but it’ll definitely be cheaper than hiring an outside consultant.

If the security department can take the survey for you, let them do that. It’s in the company’s best interest that you, your family and your home is safe, and they’ll care more than the average consultant. Schedule a time with them, and they will go through your house, clearly pointing out and documenting problems and issues, and outline solutions for you. In some cases, they might even rectify the problem then and there, but that’s rare.

If your company doesn’t have this service, schedule a security consultant, either from a security company or a reputable independent, and they’ll do the same.

What to expect.

Unless you work in security yourself, prepare to have a few nasty shocks. Every little flaw in your security will be pointed out, every little crack that a burglar or a killer can get through will be illuminated, and you might even have to consider an unplanned expense if you’re going to rectify everything.

This is a good thing, however. Your wallet might suffer a little, but your own security awareness will go up, and your home will be the sanctuary it was meant to be.

7 Sample Evaluation Points

– Is there / do you participate in a neighborhood watch program?
– Are common areas (cul-de-sacs, mailbox areas etc.) illuminated at night?
– Are your house numbers at least 4 inches tall?
– Are trees far enough away from your walls / windows?
– Is your garage door secured with locks / keypad?
– Do your doors have wide angle “peepholes”?
– Do you have a safe?

These are just some of the things that will be evaluated on a home security survey. A survey taken by an experienced and certified (CPP, for example) security specialist will always reveal more than one you fill in yourself. The expert has experience in identifying threats and weak points, something the average person does not.

A survey you take yourself is a good thing, but the best way is to have an expert consultant do it for you.

If you want to do a “preliminary” on your own, visit our downloads section for a form you can print and use.