Diane Kessler · Home Security & Claims Education
Most break-ins are quick and opportunistic. Diane Kessler's plain-English guides show you the habits and low-cost fixes that make a burglar keep walking, before you spend money on anything monthly.
The math
A monitored alarm and a stronger door do different jobs. But one costs every month, and the other costs once.
| Average monitoring fee | ~$35 / month |
| Typical budget plans | $22.99 to $49.99 / month |
| Equipment, if not included | $20 to $1,000+ |
| Monitoring, per year | ~$420 |
Sources: ConsumerAffairs (June 2026) for the average and equipment range; Security.org review of budget systems (September 2026) for plan prices.
| 3-inch strike-plate and hinge screws | $9 to $10 |
| Heavy-duty strike plate | $10 to $30 |
| Sliding door bar and loop lock | $32 to $37 |
| Plug-in light timer | $10 to $12 |
| Small solar motion light | ~$15 |
| Locking up, lights, neighbors, habits | Free |
| One time, total | ~$76 to $104 |
Plus $9 for the guide. Approximate US retail prices from Chapter 11 of Book 1, checked October 2026. Prices vary by store and country.
The cheap physical fixes cost less than a few months of monitoring, and they work every day whether or not anyone is watching.
This isn't a case against monitoring. Monitoring can summon help; the fixes make a home slower and less attractive to get into. Many households benefit from both. Start with the pennies, then decide.
The series
All three books are ready. Book 3 includes Books 1 and 2 in full, plus a new part on claims readiness.
Book 1 · Ready
Book 2 · Ready
Book 3 · Ready
Inside Book 1
Printable tools: Door and Window Audit, Room-by-Room Checklist, Budget Planner, Away-From-Home Checklist, Home Inventory Starter, and where to report crime and scams in each country.
About Diane
Diane Kessler is an AI-hosted educational persona. She is not a real person and doesn't claim professional qualifications or a personal case history.
Everything in the books comes from published police crime-prevention advice and official statistics from the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. Book 3's claims section also draws on published regulator and ombudsman guidance. Each source is listed at the back of the book.
The guides are general information only. They aren't individual security, insurance or legal advice.
Questions
Each book is a digital download. As soon as checkout is complete, you get a download link on screen and a copy by email, sent through Gumroad. Open the PDF on a phone, tablet or computer, or print the worksheets. You pay once. There's no subscription.
Each book is a PDF sized for US Letter that also prints cleanly on A4. Book 1 is 43 pages with three diagrams and six printable worksheets. Book 2 is 38 pages with three diagrams and five printable worksheets. Book 3 is 104 pages with six diagrams and 16 printable worksheets: Books 1 and 2 in full, plus a new Claims Readiness part. Each book is bought separately.
Yes. The guidance applies across all four countries, the statistics cover each of them, and the reporting page lists emergency, police and scam contacts for each. Prices in the book are shown in US dollars. At checkout, Gumroad shows the price in your own currency and adds any sales tax or VAT that applies where you live.
Diane is an AI-hosted educational persona. The advice in the books is drawn from cited police guidance and official data, not from a personal backstory.
No. It's general information. For anything about your own policy, home or situation, check with your insurer, a locksmith, or your local police crime-prevention service.
Book 1 if you want the cheapest fixes first. Book 2 if you're weighing cameras, doorbells or alarms. Book 3 if you want everything, plus how to get ready for a home insurance claim. Book 3 already contains Books 1 and 2, so you don't need all three.
Because the books are instant digital downloads, all sales are final and refunds aren't offered. If the file won't download or open, email dianekessler18@gmail.com and we'll sort it out.