With burglaries on the rise more people are installing home security systems

Recent FBI statistics reveal that nearly 9 million property crimes take place in the U.S. each year, because of that we are seeing a surge in the installation of home security systems.

Protecting your home from unwanted intruders is serious business.

Typically, a modern alarm system with high-quality wireless equipment can be installed for about $700, but the real key is who is on the other end of the alarm.

"All our employees go through thorough background checks, so if we wouldn't have them in our home and feel comfortable we certainly aren't going to send them to our clients' homes," said Kirk Booher a home security professional.

"When considering a home alarm system the monitoring is the most important part, said Angie Hicks of Angies List. You can install an alarm that is just going to make sound in your house if somebody trips it, but the real value of an alarm system is it being tied to the police, and the fire, in case of an emergency."

When you meet with a home security company find out what company they use for their alarm monitoring.

Make sure it is UL Certified, or has a 5-star diamond rating from the Central Station Alarm Association.

You will pay a separate monthly fee for this, which could range from $15 to $60 depending on how sophisticated your system is.

Once you're satisfied with that it's time to decide on the equipment you need to adequately protect your home.

"We always recommend multiple layers of protection, perhaps perimeter security with cameras, or motion lights, said Booher. Then the next level would be window sensors that detect glass breakage, the window opening; of course, door sensors. Then another layer may be interior motion sensors on interior doors so we have multiple layers of coverage."

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With burglaries on the rise more people are installing home security systems