Small Square House Outdoor Security Plan (<500 sq ft)

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Outdoor security tips for a small square house

TL;DR

This guide will show you how to apply outdoor security measures which Tony Stark (the Ironman) would probably do on a budget.

Joke aside, we prepared a lot of screenshots of a small square house 3D model and some additional images to show you how to implement 12 security tips:



Be sure to go over these security tips and really improve the general safety of your house.

A small house could have many different shapes and names – cabin, cottage, hut and so on.

You might be living in it or it can serve as a temporary home for a weekend getaways.

It doesn’t have to be something modern; on the contrary, it can be a really simple house, like millions of houses all around the US.

However, it could still be a target for thieves, especially if it contains a lot of valuable and personal items inside.

If you don’t want to invest a lot of money in security…

… here are the basic tips that you could follow and secure your property.

To get started on the ideas, we will present a 3D model of a simple square house:

3D model of a small square house - front side

Front side

This model of a small house was created using SketchUp – an online tool that will be used for all 3D models on this website.

We imagined this house to have a door and a window facing the main road. A cobblestone path was added to indicate the direction of the entrance.

Each side has its own window:

3D model of a small square house - back side

Back side

The surroundings are the first thing we need to deal with.

As seen on the model above, we have a flat and empty space all around the building.

Almost every house will have a neighboring house, shed, tall wall, fence, tree, and so on.

These objects are the key parameters that will affect our security settings.

Zone 1, Zone 2 and Zone 3

If we establish three security zones (or perimeters), we would get this:

Security zones shown for the 3D model of a small square house

Zone 1 is the first layer of security.

It’s the widest possible area around the house. This zone allows us to use a physical measure like a fence, light, sign, parked vehicle and so on.

Here is the quick overview of Zone 1 security tips:

Zone 2 is the security devices zone – this is where all those surveillance cameras, lights, motion sensors, etc. should operate. The tips:

Zone 3 is the actual house – window bars, security doors, indoor security devices and similar.

As you could imagine, the Zone 1 defines the security strength of the other two zones.

So, let’s start with it.

Zone 1 could be analyzed from two perspectives:

  • Open field scenario
  • Objects in the close area scenario

Your house is either on the open field, without anything close by, or you have other houses / natural forms all around.

We’ll first explain the open field scenario, since the later gives us more advantage.

Zone 1 – Open field scenario

An open field means that we could be facing danger from any direction:

Directions of danger for an open-field house

This is also means that we need to cover a lot of possible spots in order to fully protect the house.

So, let’s imagine you don’t have the neighbors, fence, street light and a dog. It’s a lonely house visible from a road, with no one to look around.

A simple cabin / cottage.

This is an extreme case of the Zone 1 area, but we can manage it.

The first thing that you need is to know who your potential “enemy” is. This house could be targeted mostly likely by:

  • Homeless people
  • Drug addicts
  • Low-level thieves
  • Animals

A skilled thief is likely to avoid it, but it doesn’t mean they won’t try their luck.

Homeless people will look for shelter, while drug addicts will use it to create a safe area to use drugs.

What are the things they have in common?

The inspection.

All of them will look around, see if anyone lives there, or if someone was there recently. You get the point.

Zone 1 – Security Tip #1 – Maintenance

So, here is the first security tip – make it look like someone lives there.

This means the regular maintenance of the house and surroundings – cutting the grass, shaping the trees, cleaning the path, etc.

The homeless and some drug addicts will be deterred by this.

Just compare these two houses:

Abandoned vs regular house

Source: Unsplash; left – Bruno Guerrero (@prey4bokeh); right – Redd F 

If you don’t live there, you’ll probably need to invest some money and repair the roof or front of the house.

Zone 1 – Security Tip #2 – Fence

Now that we’ve made it look like there are people living in the house, we can proceed to the next security tip.

Make a fence!

It’s the primary obstacle that the intruders encounter.

Yes, this sounds like an expensive thing. But, it doesn’t have to be.

Here is what we recommend from Amazon:

These are the DIY fences that you can easily install, but keep in mind that they cannot replace a real fence made of bricks and steel.

Their purpose is to create a visible obstacle for the animals and people, so they would need to find an alternative way to get near the house.

Despite the fact that some people may be able to jump over the fence easily, you can still decrease the number of attempts.

Of course, the taller and stronger the fence, the more difficult it is for someone to jump over it.

Zone 1 – Security Tip #3 – Warning signs

Be sure to put some signs there, such as Private Property or No Trespassing.

You should use one with a stake, such as this one, so that you can easily place them somewhere in Zone 1, such as 50-70 feet away from the house.

It should have a symbol of a person walking, like the sign on the link above, so that non-English speakers could understand the sign.

Don’t forget that these signs should be illuminated during the night, so the easiest way to do this is using the cheap solar lights like this.

These have 4 solar spotlights, each with 64 LEDs and IP66 protection, so they should do fine in the open. You can also adjust the angle to ensure that the light illuminates the sign.

Zone 1 – Security Tip #4 – IR barriers

Do you remember those heist movies where the museum or vault is secured by moving red or blue lasers?

A scene from Ocean’s Twelve (2004) movie

It’s not quite like that, but it’s close.

These beams are actually not visible to the human eye because they operate in the infrared spectrum, with a wavelength between 700 nm and 1 mm.

There are devices with sensors that can detect infrared (IR) light.

If they come in pairs, they can fire and detect IR beams, which makes them an excellent security solution.

These infrared devices are used to create the barriers around the house, since their operating range could be long enough.

For example, this product has a maximum of almost 330ft.

It’s important to keep the signal strong in all conditions, so don’t place them at their specified maximum range.

Square house in the open = square position of the IR barriers. Like this:

A triangle is also an option to place the IR barriers:

Just be sure to keep the beam uninterrupted by any obstacle!

If you’re unable to attach these sensors to the electrical system, there’s an alternative – solar outdoor motion sensor alarms.

These products, such as this one on Amazon, use the technology of motion sensors to activate the ~130db siren.

You can place them all around the area since they cover 360° of motion detection, just be sure to put them close to each other because their range is not great in comparison with the IR barriers.

Zone 1 – Security Tip #5 – Remote cameras

Last, but not the least, fifth security tip for the Zone 1 is something that is usually the part of the Zone 2, but modern technology and clever ideas defined the products that we can use even for this zone.

The subject of discussion is remote surveillance cameras, specifically these two special groups:

  • Solar powered fake cameras
  • Solar powered real cameras

You noticed that both have one thing in common – they are solar powered.

This is because the placement of these devices will be far away from the house, so there will be no electricity available.

Fake cameras are inexpensive and easy to install devices that appear to be real. You can find them on Amazon and just pick the design you prefer.

We tested these black cameras which have antennas, so they could easily pass as the IP cameras.

When talking about real solar cameras, it’s crucial to note that they won’t be able to record continuously.

The solar panel is not powerful enough to charge the batteries quickly, so the recording will only start when movement is detected.

Also, the PTZ cameras that can rotate are not the best choice, again because of the battery life.

You can take a look at this one – it doesn’t have the movement option (PTZ), so the battery will last longer.

So, how can we set up these two camera groups?

Well, their purpose is early detection and deterrence, so they should be used along with the signs (security tip #3).

As seen in the image above, the direction of the cameras should not be pointed towards the house, since they don’t have a big range, so you will not be able to identify someone.

If you truly believe it will be useful for monitoring, you can place them.

Remember, we are in Zone 1. The cameras that will record the house are reserved for the Zone 2.

However, keep in mind that real solar cameras must be in WiFi range, so you can receive a motion sensor notification.

There are WiFi range extenders (like this one) designed for the outdoor use, so you can include them if you really want to have a fully functional system.

Our recommendation is to place the fake cameras somewhere where there are no visible paths, so that you can warn people who want to trespass.

In this case, you can place real cameras near paths or roads so that you can monitor the most likely direction of the Zone 1 breach.

Also, those who see the fake cameras may choose to choose alternative ways and then enter the real solar camera recording field.

Zone 1 – Objects in the close area scenario

This is the scenario when there are various objects around your house.

There could be other houses, tree formations, tall fences / walls or even natural formations such as rocks or rivers.

We’ll present these objects as simple walls in our model.

This is the situation where all sides are protected, except for the front side:

In this scenario, we have two sides protected:

Or, we can have just one side secured. But, you get the point.

These scenarios make it easier for us to handle our security situation.

Depending on the level of object protection, you may need to invest less or cover more angles with your security equipment.

For instance, the fence or signs can be attached to the objects.

If there are other houses nearby, it is possible to come up with a shared security plan and work on the street lights (yes, there are solar street lights)

You can use objects to expand the security perimeter, for example, using rocks to create a wall. The trees could be used to construct the fence.

Lastly, it will make the installation of the motion sensors / IR barriers and real & fake solar cameras a lot easier, because you can use these objects as the connection points.

When it comes to Zone 2, this is considered as the operating range of most security devices that are attached to the house itself.

Just like the Zone 1 scenarios, there are two possibilities here: an open field or houses with objects surrounding them.

So let’s start with the open field scenario first.

Zone 2 – Open field scenario

As explained in the previous section, the open field is when there are no surrounding objects that could potentially assist in security planning.

If we have a fully developed “security plan for small square house” in Zone 1, we can apply the following safety tips for Zone 2.

Zone 2 – Security Tip #1 – Wall mount cameras

As you might expect, this is where the surveillance cameras come into play.

Now, depending on your budget, we can have fully professional equipment that will provide a vast array of surveillance options.

However, if we want to choose budget-friendly options but still get proper cameras, luckily we have available products.

In the past, surveillance equipment was much more expensive and the image quality was not very good.

With the development of new camera sensors, sensors, and safety software, these types of products have entered the consumer market.

You can now purchase a product and follow simple instructions to make it functional.

So, where to put the camera(s)?

If you decide to have just one camera (which is not advisable), it should be placed in the location where you anticipate the intruder.

Most people will choose to place the camera so that it can record the entrance to the house. This is not a bad position, but the camera itself should not be put on the easily reachable spot, such as the door (we’ll talk about the doorbell cameras in a moment).

Of course, we are talking about the IP or wired cameras that are part of the DVR / NVR systems.

We suggest choosing the area that is just below the roof, not directly above the door, something like this:

The wide angle of view and camera protection are the reasons why this is happening. The camera will be able to see a bit more and will not be affected by rain, snow, or sunlight.

Placing the camera on the far side is more convenient and concealed than placing it in the same area just about the door.

Now, we have another type of camera, which should be in reach of a person. These are doorbell cameras such as the Ring.

Their purpose is to warn visitors that they are being recorded and also to serve as a doorbell. We’ll talk about them in a separate article.

The problem with them is that someone could damage or steal them.

If you want to get two cameras, they could be next to each other, but this is not a good solution:

If they are arranged like this, you are missing the opportunity to properly record the backside of the house.

However, if you place the second camera at the other edge, you will receive the same effect as the primary camera.

Following the same logic, more cameras would cover more angles and therefore increase the overall security.

So, which cameras should be used to cover the majority of the Zone 2 area?

Many options are available here.

Let’s see the standard four camera systems first.

If you want to have the IP cameras that are fixed and with good resolution, then this pack is a good option for you.

It has four cameras with full HD video resolution, AI for person and vehicle detection, and remote access.

They come with a 24/7 NVR that has 8 channels (8 camera slots). Also, these cameras have a spotlight siren, which comes quite handy.

Or, if you want a higher resolution and included HDD of 2 TB, this Reolink 12 MP security camera system could be your choice.

The other option that you can use is a PTZ camera system, such as this one with 4K resolution.

This camera can rotate, resulting in better area coverage, but you must use this option properly, otherwise it will miss to record the important part.

Regarding the six camera systems, they are not so different from the ones with four cameras, except that they have two additional cameras, of course.

This system has six dome cameras with 4K resolution, smart detection features, a 2TB HDD included, and NVR.

And finally, we have the eight camera systems, such as this one.

Stop for a second, why did we say “finally”?

Why limit ourselves to systems with fewer cameras when there are systems with more?

The main reason is that we don’t want to use too many cameras.

Remember, you want them to be semi-concealed, so the more you put on the house, the more trouble you have with the installation and everything.

You don’t want this, right? 🙂

Don’t get us wrong, you can have 16 cameras. If you’d like, you can add 32. But do we really need to draw so much attention?

Someone will ask themselves why there are so many visible cameras. What treasures are hidden in this house?

So, you need to set a limit, and we think that 4-8 cameras is the perfect choice you can get.

Zone 2 – Security Tip #2 – Lights

The lights are essential Zone 2 security items.

They could be very effective in deterring uninvited guests, so you should think about having a whole system for your square house.

We are talking about the regular lights, lights with motion sensors and solar outdoor lighting.

The regular lights are just the simple light bulbs or LEDs that will be in front of your main door and one in the backyard.

While a light bulb could do the job, we think that the better option is to go with the LED – they are cheap, effective and have a low power consumption.

An LED floodlight of 50+ watts (W) will provide a strong beam of light for more than 30 feet in distance.

Direction a LED light on a small square house

Why is it important to have a light that you can manually activate?

Well, all the motion sensor lights will turn on when there is motion in the area close to the sensor. If someone manages to avoid them, these lights won’t turn on.

If there’s a noise outside in the middle of the light, just turn on the regular lights – it’s a sign that someone is in the house.

Now we come to the second group – motion triggered lights.

They are important in case you don’t hear that someone is outside or you’re simply not at home or don’t live there.

They should be placed all around the house, if possible.

For a small square house that means all four sides should be covered:

This would require four floodlights with a sensing angle of 180 degrees, such as this one. It can detect the motion up to 59ft and has 49W, 4500 Lumens & 5000K brightness.

In case you cannot put four lights, there is a solution, which is actually the third group of lights – solar outdoor lighting.

These lights can be placed almost anywhere, and they are very useful when you don’t have an electrical cable for a regular light.

Like the previous product, here is one with a solar panel included.

It has 302 LED diodes, 3000LM, IP65 standard which means it’s waterproof and it’s affordable.

But, don’t make a mistake when placing these solar lights.

They should be placed a bit below the regular lights, because they need the direct sunlight for the best performance.

On the image below, you can see the direction of the sunlight (yellow rays) and the position of the solar lights (blue squares).

The proper way to place them is at the point where the sunlight will be present, so the floodlights will not stay in the shadow and miss the opportunity to recharge the batteries.

In case you don’t want to put the solar lights directly on the wall, you can place a lamp post near the house, just like a normal street light.

Zone 2 – Security Tip #3 – Outdoor motion sensors

When we talked about IR barriers for Zone 1 (tip #4), we mentioned the motion detection principle.

There are devices that are capable of detecting movement and reacting in different ways.

Some devices could start a loud alarm, while others would just send a notification to your phone. There are those that could do both, of course.

Other types have the ability to reproduce specific sounds, such as barking dogs or gunshots (this one).

The best way to use them would be as a system of multiple sensors. In that case, you could cover the entire area around the house, similar to lighting and cameras.

The motion sensors are good if you have a continuous surveillance recording without the alarming option, so you could know when to set up the playback and see who was caught on the camera.

Also, the alarms or specific sounds that these devices use are proven to be effective in scaring someone away.

Zone 2 – Security Tip #4 – Guarding dogs

The guarding dogs are probably the most useful security advantage that one could have.

No thief would want to come across a dog at night, particularly in an open area. These dogs are both fast and fearless, so they won’t stop.

The problem with dogs, speaking only from the point of view of security, is when you are not living in the house.

They are living beings that need food and water, but also someone to keep them company. If the owner is not always present, the lonely dog may not be able to successfully protect the home.

It’s possible that they won’t develop a bond with the owner and may even attack them.

You cannot simply put a dog in a remote location and expect it to behave like a guarding robot.

If you are always present, the dog will become attached to the house and defend it no matter what.

This could pose another danger – if someone just wants to meet you, so without any bad intentions.

The dog could attack them, causing serious injuries. It is why important to train the dog, or ask a professional to help you.

We are not fans of putting electric dog collars, as dogs are not prisoners.

There are ways to limit the dog walking area, particularly in open spaces that don’t have fences.

You could set up the ground / air doglines using the special cables, like this one.

It allows your dog to run freely, but not outside the cable area.

If you want to protect your house, here is a simple plan to do it:

The red border could represent the area where the cable should be installed. It’s near the house, so no one could enter it, but also the dog cannot chase someone far away.

Zone 2 – Objects in the close area scenario

This is similar to the Zone 1 scenario with close objects, but in this case the objects are really close to the house.

It could be another house, garage, shed, or anything that could block someone from getting close to the house.

There are positive and negative aspects of this scenario.

The positive side is that you have something that could make the stealing attempt a lot harder. Another house could have its own rules for lighting, dog guarding, and surveillance, resulting in more obstacles.

However, having an additional object could actually draw attention. A shed, for example, is usually used to store expensive tools and equipment.

Anyway, the tips for securing our small square house would be pretty much the same as for the open space.

Install video surveillance to ensure that all areas where someone could enter or use for walking are covered. Use the objects in the nearby area to mount the cameras if necessary.

Use motion detection lights to illuminate these objects, not just for mounting them. If they don’t belong to you, at least use their position to figure out the angle of the sensor, so the light could be triggered properly.

Use the all possible advantages of these objects, but also try to protect them as well.

We finally got to the last zone that we need to protect – our small square house itself.

Since this is the guide for the outdoor protection, we will not get into details regarding the indoor security – this will be covered in other articles.

This leaves us with security measures that will be used to prevent someone from getting in, if they managed to pass the Zone 1 and Zone 2 security measures.

So, we are talking about window and door protection.

Also, here we don’t need to cover open space and close objects scenario, it’s all the same – someone is near the house.

Zone 3 – Security Tip #1 – Window / door bars

The bars are a useful way of protecting any entrance to the house. They are quite strong and clearly say ‘No!’ to anyone who wants to use the windows or doors to commit robbery.

Although they are visible obstacles, not everyone will attempt to test them.

There are a variety of ways and types of bars to choose from. The best ones have strong bolts that hold the bars connected to the side rods deeply embedded into the walls.

Something like this:

These are usually custom made bars, but you can find DIY options as well.

If you choose the custom building option, we recommend including locks that will allow you to open and close the doors.

These bars are not fixed to the sides, only their frame is. They behave like doors basically, and this allows you to open them from inside.

This is important because you don’t want to have the lock exposed to anyone outside. It is possible to build a model that will conceal the lock and prevent someone from breaking or unlocking it.

Speaking about the doors, this is exactly why you need.

Think about this – you can have the strongest bars, but if you expose the lock, it’s like you didn’t put them there at all.

So, put the lock in such a position that it’s impossible to break it with any tool. This means to place it in the space between the bars and the door.

Zone 3 – Security Tip #2 – Locks

Speaking about the locks and padlocks, there are pretty advanced options that you can use today.

From the regular locks made from of strong steel alloys to keyless WiFi locks with fingerprint readers.

Here is one hi-tech option – Fingerprint padlock with TUYA app.

Regarding the entry door lock, check this one with the keypad.

These locks will not provide an extra layer of security, but the apps could help you determine when someone has unlocked the door.

Zone 3 – Security Tip #3 – Fake it

This is the last tip for the Zone 3 and the last tip in this article.

Since it’s not a product or a tool that you can use, we’ll simply call it like this – Fake it.

Don’t think that this is something to avoid using – it’s actually one of the most recommended tips by the ex-thieves themselves.

Remember the first tip, Maintenance?

Well, this is a kind of update to that tip. In fact, it’s quite straightforward:

Make a fake scenario where your house is full of people.

Just like that.

Do you remember the moment when Kevin faked the house party in Home Alone 1?

Let us remind you:

He used real-sized mannequins to fake a party and deceive Harry and Marv (the thieves) that the house was still full of people.

With this trick, the oldest one in the book, he was able to postpone the robbery.

Now, we are not saying that you should do the same, but here are some things you could do:

  • Use solar decoration for the house and paths
  • Put the Welcome sign(s)
  • Spread out the garden decoration & children’s toys
  • Occasionally, put some party decoration (birthday signs, Halloween, Christmas, etc.)

This will help you create a fake “life” around the house.

The solar decoration is a good option if you want to illuminate the whole house or just a part of it.

You have a good chance of convincing someone that the house is not empty because it can be seen from a distance.

For example, here is the wall light decoration.

If you have a visible path, check this out – these are the affordable pathway lights.

And when you want to bring the Christmas spirit, then why not use something like this?

Remember, don’t just put and forget these items. Break the pattern, move them from time to time, and introduce new things.

If someone passes near the house more than once a month and they notice you didn’t move your children’s toys from the front yard for weeks, the illusion will be broken.

Conclusion

You have finally reached the end of the article!

We showed you 12 useful tips that will help you protect the a small house that has a simple shape – square.

It’s important to mention this because other house shapes have different security settings. Even a bigger square house will have some other rules.

Here’s the list of tips again, so you can easily navigate and find the ones you’re interested in:

Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3

Take care and ensure that your home is protected as best as you can.

Marvin McAlister is an enthusiastic advocate for home safety and security, possessing a solid grasp of the subject through years of personal and professional involvement with security equipment. Check more about Marvin here.

Disclaimer

The content of this page is meant exclusively for informational purposes. Conducting a professional safety audit is our recommendation when there is a proven danger.

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