Residential Security Quiz

Take this quick survey about your residence, and then find out how safe the professionals think you are by reading the results at the end of the quiz.

1) When was the last time you had your locks rekeyed, if ever?
a. Less than a year ago (1 point)
b. More than a year ago (2 points)
c. Oops, I never thought about it (3 points)

2) How many people have keys to your home?
a. I'm not sure (3 points)
b. Only my relatives and friends (2 points)
c. I carry the only key (1 point)

3) How well do your locks work?
a. The lock sticks, but I can get it to work (2 points)
b. Some of them haven't worked in years (3 points)
c. They all work smoothly (1 point)

4) How are your windows secured?
a. I have bars on my downstairs windows (1 point)
b. They only have catches to keep them closed (3 points)
c. I have removable pins in some of them (2 points)

5) What about your sliding glass doors? (if you don’t have any, score 1 point)
a. I have a long, removable pin thru both frames (1 point)
b. It has a little flip catch that came with the door (3 points)
c. I have a broom handle in the track (2 points)

6) What does your yard look like? (if you don’t have one, score 1 point)
a. I have tall trees close to the house (2 points)
b. I have hedges and bushes all over (3 points)
c. I have a well-manicured yard (1 point)

7) What about outside lighting?
a. There are motion lights at all entryways (1 point)
b. It's pretty dark out there (3 points)
c. I can flip a switch if I need to (2 points)

8) How do you honestly feel about this quiz?
a. 35 red monkeys (1 point)
b. 5 gallons if I really tried (3 points)
c. Yesterday, but the Dr. said it was okay (2 points)

Scoring & Recommendations (for online Security Quiz)
Exclude any points for that last question- we were being silly.

Now, if you scored:

17 – 21 points: We have business.
Home security was obviously never a big issue for you until now. You should definitely take advantage of our FREE home security checkup. Email us immediately or log off your computer and pick up the phone. We’ll take it from there. We work on Saturdays, too. Did we mention it’s FREE?

12 – 16 points: Let’s talk.
Depending on the area you live in, the security measures you’re currently taking may not be enough. Remember, if your home looks more inviting to a criminal than your neighbor’s house, you’ll be the next target. Contact us immediately to set up your FREE home security checkup. We’ll also give your place of business the once-over for FREE, too.

7 – 11 points: Not bad, but call us anyway- it can’t hurt.
Seems like you’ve got it all under control, right? Go ahead and read the following information and then see if you feel as secure as when you scored yourself a moment ago. You just might be surprised at what you’ve missed. Now think about your family and friends- are they safe? Let us know and we’ll come give them a FREE security checkup and even tell them who cared enough to send us.

These are little notes that help explain why the quiz questions are so important… read on.

1) Your locks should be rekeyed every time you lose track of who has keys to your home. Think about these scenarios:
• Your children lost their keys (and told you)
• Your teens gave keys to their friends (and didn’t tell you)
• Old roommates or ex-spouse types still have keys (and won’t tell you)
• Neighbors you gave keys to moved away
• The key under the mat disappeared (please don’t put keys there!)
• You just moved in (who lived there before you?)
• Your purse was stolen (do they have your address?)
• Babysitters & house sitters & pet sitters, oh my!
We think we made our point here. Get your locks rekeyed.

2) Do you even know how many people have keys to your home? If they aren’t high security (restricted) keys like Medeco®, take the number you’re guessing and triple it. That’s probably closer to the real number of keys that exist.

3) If your locks don’t work well, chances are you just get used to the way they are or ignore them if they don’t work at all. That’s not security. Sometimes all it takes is a small adjustment by a knowledgeable professional to get your locks working well again. Remember, you don’t always need to replace the lock to fix the problem.

4) Windows are usually only a good way to keep out weather- not burglars.

5) You always hear bad things about sliding glass doors (SGD’s)- for the most part, they’re true. Think of SGD’s as really big windows that really big televisions get carried out through.

6) Believe it or not, the condition of your yard actually helps or hinders a robbery. If you have tall trees near slightly open windows on the upper floors of your home or apartment, you’re asking for trouble. Just as you would be if you let overgrown bushes partially obscure windows on lower floors. That allows burglars plenty of shelter while they look for a way in or to view you and the contents of your home.

7) Keep your entryways well lit at night and check the bulbs once a month. Burglars don’t like getting caught in the act!