I had to deal with this a number of years ago - attemped break-in into my house late evening. My little brother was only six at the time, and was sleeping up on the second floor of the house. I checked to make sure he was still asleep upstairs, grabbed a 12-ga pump shotgun (an ancient Sears shotgun), called the police, and moved to a place where I could get the first series of shots in before the bad guy knew what hit him. Luckily, the intruder didn't get through the door he was trying to force...and it would have ended badly for him since I was waiting for him on the other side of it - and no, I wasn't in the mood to give a warning. I was the only person between the bad guy and my little brother, and I wasn't going to allow the perp time to figure out where I was first.
The cops arrived about ten minutes after the attempted robber gave up and left. Now, I always keep some kind of HD capability nearby...my Glock and M1 carbine seem to work best for me. Regardless...I would never leave nor give up the element of surprise in my own house. Best bet is to hang tight with the three most potent weapons you have - your wits, a phone to call the cavalry, and some handy firepower that you know you can accurately and safely use when the chips are down.
The cops arrived about ten minutes after the attempted robber gave up and left. Now, I always keep some kind of HD capability nearby...my Glock and M1 carbine seem to work best for me. Regardless...I would never leave nor give up the element of surprise in my own house. Best bet is to hang tight with the three most potent weapons you have - your wits, a phone to call the cavalry, and some handy firepower that you know you can accurately and safely use when the chips are down.