Home Security Gadgets & Reviews

Lighting is an important part of home security, since a well-lit yard (including front, back, and side yards) is a great deterrent to burglars. They would rather work in the dark and shadows, so a house that lights up when they approach is a big turn off. They will generally go for easier targets.

Solar lighting with a motion detector set-up is a great way to add energy efficient security to your security plan. The overall price tends to be a bit higher than regular lights that run on electricity, but with solar lighting you will save money over the long run, because these bulbs are powered by batteries charged every day by the sun.

On the downside, solar-powered lights tend to provide less illumination than those plugged into an outlet, but the technology is improving, and you may find solar security lights do a good enough job to deter burglars. Lights with motion detectors are also nice for your own convenience. There’s no need to worry about leaving a porch light on for when your family members get home after dark, because the lights will simply pop on when you drive up.

The price for solar lighting with motion detector technology will vary from brand to brand and with various features. The solar flood lamp shown here costs $99.99 from Home Visions:

Solar light with motion sensor

As we’ve mentioned before, basic home security is just as important as spending thousands on fancy alarm systems. Make sure you have strong doors and locks for starters. Deadbolts should be on all exterior doors, and if you haven’t had yours changed in a while (and there may be copies of your house keys out there), now may be the time to get new ones.

There’s no reason to stick with the plain utilitarian kind either.

These cool Verona locks from Hickory Hardware look like they’d do the job and look good too:

“Verona, with its curving Romanesque symmetry, lends grace, sophistication, and Old World elegance to both formal and informal design schemes.”

$96.59 buys you the lock set.