Thanks for the important warning! That is a major issue to think about. Sorry about your break in. Hopefully there wasn't too much damage or things taken.

I appreciate you home-building pros coming back to share your wisdom. Take care.

Charlie, so nice to "see" you but what sad news. My inlaws house was broken into and they felt so violated knowing someone was rifling through their stuff. Did they get much the first time around? Can't believe they came back for seconds. I'm so glad they were caught. What stupid theives.

How's the house? Does it feel like you've been in forever now?

thanks for posting. i'm so sorry about the break in. i know it's an awful feeling. how stupid of those guys to try your house again! that's a big no-no in the criminal profession but then again, i don't suppose they're all that smart.

We'll have a walk-out basement with french doors and two windows. We had the alarm guy install a motion sensor and door sensors in the basement. I'm curious, did you have those? And if you did, didn't the alarm go off? We're building in the middle of nowehere also. DH didn't think an alarm was necessary (ha!), but I insisted that one was installed. And from your experience, it sounds like I'll be glad we did!

Good grief  you were at HOME? how terrifying was that! Did they see or hear you and run? Did you have to physically confront them??

Shaking at the thought  Kate.

You need a big barking dog.

We don't lock our doors in our current home. In fact when we tore down the old equipment shed to build the new house the only key to the old house was hanging in that shed. Didn't realize it until later!

Our GC had to talk us into a security system but I am really glad I we did it. His selling point was resale ( which we don't plan on doing- that will our kids worry hopefully)

I am getting a driveway dinger - I am sure it has a real name- something that goes off in the house when someone is coming down the lane.

Even still - a big barking dog is a great deterrent. My Fed ex guy still won't get out of his truck...... and I have big happy setters.

Hey Lindy! It's great to see you too. How have you been. It does feel like home now. I can't imagine being anywhere else. These crooks are trying to steal my thunder but I refuse to let them.

Jessica, we didn't have anything but a deadbolt on a standard door...which is worthless. One kick and the entire frame busted. Now everything is set in steel frame that is somehow attached to the concrete foundation and 6x6 house frame. We also put in a security door there. Go with your instincts. It's a lot easier and cheaper to do this while building instead of redoing everything like we had to.

HappyKate, Yep I was at home. We were told the thieves used a red truck the first time. This time the guy knocked on our door, asked for some random guy. When I said they didn't live here they left. The cops said that most thieves don't like to break into a home when they know a person is home so they knock on the door and "act" like they have the wrong house if somebody answers. When I saw that red truck I just about p'd my pants.

I took down the plate number and called hubby (5 minutes away) He called the det. working our first break-in, left work to come up the hill and saw them going down so he turned around and followed them. They went to the next victims house and he called police again while watching them break-in.

Pony, we have a barking dog (charliedog) but they weren't scared of him. I might get me one of the driveway bell thingies. Our great room is in the back of the house so we don't know if a person is here until they are knocking on the door.

They took our plasma, laptop w/ all of my housebuilding photos on it (I still have a few on photobucket) a guitar. They had 2 plasmas in the truck when they were caught.

I might be around a lot more soon. We are going to start finishing our basement in a few months. :D

We also built in the middle of nowhere. I didn't want an alarm at first, I was just freaked out by the Big Brother aspect of it, but once I called our insurance agent and realized that they would basically pay me every month for putting it in, I agreed. Now I am glad I did it. We have alerts for glass breakage, movement and door alarms. I can set them all or just one. I sleep well at night now.

We also have the driveway alert. It is strapped to a tree right now, but as soon as we can get a post into the ground, it will go there. I love it. The whole house stereo system plays a chime when someone drives in. If the stereo is on, it stops the music, if it isn't on, it just plays the chime. The security company put that in for us.