Worried About Home Security? You're Not Alone.

How often do you worry about your home security?

If it's once a month or more, you're in good company. According to a new Alarm.com study of 10,000 US homeowners' security concerns and routines, two-thirds of all homeowners worry about home security and crime at least once a month. 42% experience worries once a week or more, while 16% worry about security every day.
 
Here are five more discoveries from Alarm.com's new Home Security Survey.

1: Everyone's home security routine is different.

Do you share home security duties with your partner, like 22% of respondents, or do you consider yourself the "Chief Security Officer" (present in 68% of homes)? And what precautions do you take to protect your home from crime?

We asked: which actions do you take as part of your daily home security routine?

• 52% of homeowners check that their doors and windows are locked at bedtime.
• 39% make sure that their drapes or blinds are closed at night.
• 35% leave outdoor lights on at night.
• 22% leave indoor lights on at night.
• 24% check inside their closet before going to bed.
• 18% still check under the bed.

Related: Four in 10 homeowners admit they sleep with a "weapon" for security (New York Post)

If your home security routine is complex, consider enlisting help from a professional. Alarm.com makes it easy to check that doors and windows are closed, for example. A quick Scenes command allows you to secure your home for the night with a single action. You'll still need to check under your own bed, though.

2: Home security mistakes are easy to make.

When you're managing work, family and a home, everyday details are easy to forget. Our research shows that, all too often, this includes safety and security basics. When was the last time you left your home vulnerable to an opportunistic intruder?

We asked: which of these security mistakes have you made in the last 12 months?

• 35% of homeowners have left doors open or unlocked.
• 29% have left windows open or unlocked.
• 29% have left the garage open.
• 25% have forgotten to turn their alarm on.
• 20% have lost their door keys.

A simple security mistake can be costly. The good news is that it's easily preventable. If you lead a busy life, it's worth investing in a security system with automated locks and Geo-Services. If you forget to lock up, you'll know - and it's easy to fix.

3: There's no leaving your home security worries at home.

Ever got halfway to work and had the feeling that you didn't lock your door? You're not the only one. The morning commute sees increased security concerns, especially once the rush to get out of the house has passed. It's not the only "prime time" for worries, however.

We asked: when are you likely to worry more about home security?

• 50% of homeowners worry more when they travel.
• 31% worry more when they're home alone.
• 31% worry more when family members are home alone.
• 31% worry more when they leave home for work.

While the "out of sight, out of mind" approach can work with lesser concerns, security and safety worries require the opposite. It's why connected home security technology, with features like remote arming and locking, activity notifications, and smarter video alerts, is becoming a must-have home improvement.

4. Bumps in the night affect us all.

The sudden fear that someone is breaking into your home is a universal experience, our survey suggests. Parents are most affected (6 times per year) while seniors experience the least "bumps" (just 1.3 per year).

How do you react when you hear a bump in the night? According to our survey:

• 44% have quietly snuck out of bed to investigate.
• 41% have grabbed an object and gone to confront the perceived intruder.
• 33% have made a noise to scare off anyone who may be there.
• 23% (including 20% of men) have sent their partner to investigate.

If bumps in the night give you the chills, professionally monitored home security can put your mind at ease. Alarm.com-powered security systems include a direct connection to a 24/7 monitoring station, where security professionals are on hand to alert police in the event of a burglary, fire or other emergency at your home.

5: Help is at hand for home security worries.

Smart home security technology is overtaking traditional measures and increasing homeowners' peace of mind, our study indicates. The homeowners most likely to feel "very confident" about security are the 26.% of respondents who reported owning a security system with a mobile app.

"Protecting our homes and families is a task that we never fully switch off from," says Anne Ferguson, vice-president of marketing at Alarm.com. "From bumps in the night to the nagging concern that you forgot to lock up when you left home, worries about safety and security are a fact of modern life, especially for constantly on-the-go families. The good news is that new technology makes home security worries easy to mitigate and manage."

Want help with your home security worries?