In the United States, over 2 million home burglaries are reported each year, with a home burglary taking place once every 13 seconds. Time how long it takes you to read this short blog post. How many burglaries happened during those few minutes?
Shocking, right? But perhaps not as shocking as this statistic: Only about 10% of Americans live in homes with home security systems. Given that homes with home security are much less likely to be broken into, why do so few people have home security systems?
Even burglars say home security systems deter burglars
Homes without a security system are three times more likely to get broken into and most burglars say they avoid homes with obvious home security systems, such as a yard sign out front. If we do the math, we find out that 90% of the homes in the U.S. are three times more vulnerable than the other 10%–which probably makes the other 10% even safer because burglars have plenty of unprotected houses to choose from!
You’ve probably heard the ADT slogan about the yard sign being a line in the sand, and we’ve written about the power of that statement in another blog post. When you realize that only 10% of homes are protected and how much of a deterrent that protection provides, you can see that that yard sign wins because it wins the battle upfront when the burglar passes on by.
If you’ve been thinking about a home security system and you’re still undecided about whether or not to make the investment, maybe it’s time to be ahead of the curve and join the minority that has a home security system—before you unwillingly become part of the group that has already been burglarized.
The costs of a home burglary: more than you think
A home security system does not have to be an expensive investment, and when you compare the costs of the peace of mind to the potential costs of a burglary, all of a sudden it seems cheap. Statistics say the average burglary costs a homeowner about $2,000 in lost goods. That might not sound like much, but that’s because it doesn’t take into account other costs, including:
- The costs of replacing broken doors, windows or doorjambs
- The trauma of the invasion, which can take years to recover from
- The irreplaceable value of family heirlooms
- A higher homeowner’s insurance premium
Without a home security system and your own “line in the sand” in the form of a home security sign in the front yard, your home ranks among the 90% of American homes that lack that protection—and it’s much more appealing to burglars as a result. Wouldn’t you rather stay ahead of that curve and move on into the 10%?
