Most home-security advice online sells you something. This list is the opposite, these are the upgrades we tell our own friends and family to make, ranked roughly by how much real-world risk they reduce per dollar spent.
1. Install 3-inch screws on every strike plate
Almost every kicked-in front door we see in Maryland fails the same way: the strike plate was held in with the original ¾-inch screws, which only bite into the doorjamb veneer. Replacing those with 3-inch screws that bite into the framing studs is an inexpensive upgrade that prevents the majority of forced entries.
2. Upgrade exterior deadbolts to Grade 2 minimum
Grade 3 builder hardware is fine for an interior bedroom door. On the front, side, or back of your home, it’s a weak point. Grade 2 deadbolts (like Schlage B-series) cost slightly more and dramatically outperform builder-grade locks against pry and bump attacks.
3. Reinforce the front door frame
A reinforced strike plate (Door Armor, StrikeMaster) extends across the entire frame and distributes impact load. This is the single most effective anti-kick-in upgrade.
4. Add deadbolts to side and back entries
Most break-ins target side and back entries because they’re less visible. If yours have only a knob latch (no deadbolt), add a deadbolt, and reinforce that strike too.
5. Replace patio door hardware
Stock sliding-door latches are notoriously weak. A foot lock, a secondary patio door lock, and a track rod cost very little combined and eliminate one of the most-exploited residential weak points.
6. Install a smart lock with auto-lock
Most break-ins through unlocked doors aren’t carelessness, they’re forgetting. Auto-lock at 30 or 60 seconds eliminates that risk. Read more on our smart lock installation page.
7. Use real exterior lighting (not just decorative)
Motion-activated LED floodlights at side and back entries make a real difference. Decorative path lights do not.
8. Don’t put your name on your mailbox if you live alone
It sounds paranoid; it’s not. Removing identifying details from your mailbox and front exterior is a free privacy upgrade.
9. Trim shrubs near windows
Tall shrubs near ground-floor windows give cover. Keep them under three feet.
10. Rekey on day one
Anyone could have a copy of the keys to the home you just moved into, old roommates, contractors, prior owners’ cleaners. A whole-home rekey is cheap insurance.
What we don’t recommend
Fake security cameras, "anti-burglar" stickers without an actual system, and bargain-bin smart locks from no-name brands. They look like security; they don’t deliver it.