How to get prior notification that your home is under attack with enemies that attack your home in Hearthfire

I use my shield and bash them during the wind up. This helps stagger them so that I can whoop it on. Try blocking with a shield or a two-handed weapon, while they wind up hold the block buttton and hit the attack button at the same time to bash them, see if it staggers them or not.

A short Unarmed Primer for Skyrim:

Perks

• Steel Fists - Steel fists adds the base armor value of the gauntlets to your attack. Smithing, well fitted perks, etc do not affect unarmed damage.
• Armsman - Armsman does not affect unarmed damage.
• Dual Flurry - Dual flurry does not affect dual fisted unarmed attack speed (power attack or not).
• Dual Savagery - Dual Savagery does not affect dual fisted unarmed power attack.

Equipment

With the best set of enchanting + alchemy feedback loop, you are able to make an unarmed enchantment of +14 onto Gloves and Rings, for a total of +28 unarmed damage.

Animations

Unarmed attacks has a finishing animation just like all other weapons. If the enemy is the last one alive and you perform a hit, there is a chance you will perform a neck snapping attack. If you are doing a sneak attack and you kill the target in 1 hit, there is a possibility of doing the animation as well.

Race

Khajiits have an inherent +15 bonus to unarmed. This bonus may not apply while wearing gauntlets (I will need do some more testing to make sure).