By Kate Voss

We all know Cincinnati and the surrounding area is a great place to live, with its endless amounts of activities.

However, as with any other urban area, it’s important to keep security and home safety at the forefront of our thoughts. Most residents are aware of basic safety tips for walking around at night, but few keep that same security driven attitude when considering their own home. But beware — ignoring proper security in your own home can not only leave you vulnerable, it can also lower the value of your home! Luckily, the opposite is true as well, and adding security additions can instantly raise the value of your property.
Whether you’re buying, selling, or improving your home, the most integral step is to find home security deals in your area that can be purchased with a complete security system. While it used to be rare, the popularity of having a home security system installed — which means alarms, indoor motion sensors, and a 24/7 live monitoring service at the very least – has risen dramatically. Many buyers would prefer to purchase a home that already has a working security system in place, since it will make getting their own security up and running much more efficient. Most security providers will even offer discounts for customers that are moving, and may even go so far as to set up service in a new home for free.
Installing a security system can also result in an immediate drop in your homeowner’s insurance premium, for you and any potential buyers, which is a factor that might sway someone to make the final deal. After all, if a buyer is looking at two homes in a similar neighborhood, they’d likely want to finalize with the one already pre-equipped with a security system.
If you really want to add a sellable feature to your home, invest in a security system that comes with integrated home features. Automatic temperature control is a good example, but so is remote lighting and on/off switches for home appliances. Adding these energy-efficient tools means lower utility bills for you and future owners.
After a basic security system, ensure that you have emergency sensors spread throughout the house. Generally, this means working smoke alarms on every floor and every sleeping room, but it could also include flooding, gas leaks, roof leaks, and abnormally low temperature sensors. No matter what your neighborhood’s weather is like, these add-on detection systems are necessary to protect residents against emergencies like unexpected weather flukes and common appliance malfunctions.
Finally, any further security additions can only continue to increase the value of your home. Motion-sensor lighting should be placed over driveways, the path to your front door, and even your backyard. It’s well proven that an intruder will move on to the next home if confronted by lights. In addition, changing all your locks (on windows, too) to those of high quality, and installing steel doors, even in the garage, should both ensure your safety and help potential buyers understand they are purchasing a home that is safe for their entire family.