Must-read guide to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property from a home burglary. Learn simple steps to secure your home.
Your Chances
Some statistics are almost too big to comprehend, such as when the FBI says more than 1.7 million U.S. properties were burglarized in 2014. You could try to figure out your odds of joining that statistic, but chances are your eyes will gloss over before you come up with the right number. You’ll probably conclude that home burglaries are something that happen to other people.
The truth is, thieves don’t care if you’re in denial about becoming a part a burglary statistic. If you aren’t willing to consider taking steps to protect yourself and your possessions, next year’s statistic could be 1.7 million plus one.
Common Sense Goes a Long Way, Along with Some Planning
Here’s a disturbing stat that anyone can grasp instantly: Victims of burglaries in 2014 lost an average of $2,251. For most of us, that’s not chump change.
On top of the monetary hit, those who get their homes broken into can lose confidence in their overall safety and their emotional well-being. With the right tools, however, you can deter would-be burglars and even stop them in their tracks.
It’s not one of those things you can do right before you go on vacation. It’s best to research what’s out there and set yourself up just right so you feel protected all year round, while you’re at work and while you’re sleeping during the dark of night.
To begin, look at your home objectively and figure out the weak spots. A burglar is looking for an easy target, so performing just a few commonsense tasks, like upgrading the locks on your front door, can keep your home safer.
The Ultimate List of the Web’s Best Resources on Preventing a Home Burglary:
From a simple timer that turns on a lamp at a different times each night to smartphone apps that show you what’s going on at your home when you’re away, many options exist for preventing home burglaries. In this guide, you’ll learn about the following:
What Burglars Are Looking For
Why Landscaping Matters
How to Secure Your Doors and Windows
Pay Attention to Your Garages, Sheds, Basement
Get Creative with Your Security Measures
Alarms: What to Look for in Home Security Systems
Interior and Exterior Lighting Can Keep You Safe
Know Your Neighbors
Vacation: Keep Your Home Safe Before You Go Away
Home Automation: Be in Control on the Go
1. Know What Burglars Are Looking For
Thieves are out there looking for incentives to break in. Don’t give them the bait. That means keeping signs of your expensive belongings inside your home, hidden from prying eyes. There’s no need to brag inadvertently about gadgets you have recently bought. So, around the holidays, for example, don’t place the empty box for your new 4K TV at the curb days before the garbage truck arrives. Keep riding mowers and other expensive tools inside a garage or locked shed. And put valuables out of window view, where someone peeking in your home could see them.
While some burglars choose their victims at random, others use a more refined approach to finding homes that are ripe for the picking. You may be sending out signals that your home is a good candidate for burglary without even realizing it.
23 Reasons Why Burglars Single You Out – CreditDonkey
How to (Cleverly) Secure Your Home Against Intruders – Lifehacker
The 8 Different Types of Burglars (Infographic) – Kim Komando
13+ Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You – Reader’s Digest
2. Why Good Landscaping Matters
Burglars looking for an easy target appreciate homes where the landscape lets them hide in plain sight. Large bushes and trees near doors and windows may provide you with some privacy, but they’ll also allow burglars to stay hidden from nosy neighbors while they test for open doors and windows.
Frequently trim bushes and trees to allow for a clear view of windows and doors. Or consider placing bushes with thorns underneath windows to thwart burglars. And don’t leave a tall ladder outside your home either, as a burglar could use it to access second-story windows.
Protecting Your Home with Defensive Bushes – Surviopedia
How to Add Security Plants to Your Yard – HGTV
How Your Landscaping Can Keep Burglars Away – Houzz
4 Landscaping Tips to Deter Burglars – Coldwell Banker
7 Plants to Scare Off Burglars, Nosy Neighbors, and Everyone Else – Gizmodo
3. How to Secure Your Entranceways
Most burglars don’t have a bulldozer handy. What they do come equipped with is a keen eye for seeing vulnerabilities – which are usually found with your doors or windows. They may have observed your house from afar and noticed that you don’t often lock your doors, or they may have noticed one window you always leave open that they can easily climb through. Usually it’s a doorway: According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, 34% of burglars stroll in through the front door while 22% use the back door.
Your home probably has more entrance points than you realize, and they’re probably not as secure as you need them to be. Take a look at the tools you do have to keep burglars away – namely all your locks – and consider whether you need an upgrade.
Reinforce and Burglar Proof Your Entry Door – Home Repair Tutor video
Choosing the Best Door Lock for Your Home – State Farm
Most doors can be defeated so a good lock is key – Consumer Reports
What Type of Door Is Best for Your Entranceway? – Bob Vila
Securing Windows – Better Homes and Gardens
4. Pay Special Attention to Your Garages, Sheds, Basement
Having a garage or basement attached to your home can come in handy when you need extra storage, but it can also lure in burglars who are looking for a weak spot in your security defenses. Freestanding buildings can clue in burglars that you’re not a stickler for security – if you leave the shed filled with expensive lawn equipment unlocked, a thief may think you’re loose about other parts of your property as well.
Another issue to consider: Did you recently upgrade your home windows but forget about the basement? Burglars love the falling-apart windows in basements (so easy to crawl through since they are at ground level) and bulkheads. These areas are also attractive hiding spots for naughty folks patient enough to sit in the shadows and wait to pounce.
7 Essential Measures to Keep Your Basement Safe Against Intruders – Rockwell Blog
10 Tips for Better Basement Window Security – DoItYourself
How to Keep Your Garage Secure – Garaga
Top 10 Garage Door Security Tips to Prevent Break-Ins – Imminent Threat Solutions
5. Get Creative with Your Security Measures
We’ll bring up the topic of paying for an alarm system that gives you ongoing protection (and, in some cases, a monthly bill) below, but there are some measures you can take that won’t cost you extra. Consider picking out your next dog based on his protective skills and not solely on his cuteness, or see if the one you have can be trained to be more than just your best friend.
Other cheapo but effective security measures include using loud dog sounds when a stranger approaches your house, putting up a “beware of dog” sign even if you don’t have a pet, and installing fake cameras (not ideal but better than nothing). Speaking of signs, you could put up a sign that makes it appear that you have a professional alarm system running throughout your property when in fact your only investment is a prominent window sticker.
Top 10 Dog Breeds for Protection – Cesar’s Way
How to Prepare Your Dog for Guard Dog Training – Howcast
Roll Your Own DIY Security System This Weekend – Lifehacker
6. What to Look for in Home Security Systems
You can only do so much yourself. A more effective option could be hiring a home security company to monitor your home, with an alarm system that can protect you from burglars by alerting police to any break-in at your home. Different levels of monitoring are available at different price points, so figure out what you need and can afford, and shop around.
Research has shown that 60% of burglars would choose another house if the one they were targeting had a security system installed. There are pitfalls you can fall into if you don’t do your homework, so be sure to do some comparison shopping.
Are Home Security Systems Worth It? 23 Alarming Facts – CreditDonkey
How to choose a video surveillance system for your home – Mark Saltzman video
DIY Security System – The Family Handyman
How to set up a cheap home security system using Dynamic DNS – C|NET
7. Proper Lighting Can Keep You Safe
Do you have a lighting strategy?
Interior Lighting:
Most of us don't give our lights much thought – in fact, many of us fail to turn them off when we walk out of a room. But when it comes to home safety, leaving your lights on can actually save you from getting your precious stuff stolen. Even better is if you have the lights turn on at certain times when you’re away so that it appears that you’re still around. Making use of interior lighting that operates on a series of timers can make it appear as though someone is home and can prevent burglars from sensing a pattern. A timer can turn on a TV or radio, too, creating random noise.
Exterior Lighting:
Outside lighting is another must-have tool; you can use it to startle a burglar and get him wondering whether a neighbor will catch on to his mischief. Motion-activated lighting works especially well around doors, windows, and sidewalks.
2 Ways Home Security Lights Can Increase Your Chances of Being Burglarized – Ackerman Security
Best Locations for Security Motion Lights – Modern Survival Blog
Learn to Make the Best Use of Light Timers – Beyond Identity Theft
The Do’s and Don’ts of Porch Lights – Apartment Therapy
Interior Home Security Lighting Tips on a Budget – Light Switch Timer
8. Know Your Neighbors
Protecting your home and the area around you doesn’t have to be a solo effort. Enlist the help of your neighbors and community, including your local police department, to consider how to raise the level of all of your safety. Being friendlier and neighborly can up your chances that others will be looking out for your best interests when you’re at work or on vacation (and you may want to do the same). By being neighborly, you could have someone you trust to hold your spare key and an extra set of eyes looking out for your well-being.
Even when they’re not patrolling and answering the call of crime, many local law enforcement agencies have programs in place for neighborhood watches (or you could form your own). Upon request, some local law enforcement departments will visit your home and give you tips on how to improve security. And others have online forms you can fill out when you’re about to go away and they’ll drive by a few times to see that everything checks out.
Tips for Getting to Know Your Neighbors – Zillow
Tools and Resources for Forming a Neighborhood Watch – National Crime Prevention Council
Home Security Tips – Fort Worth Police Department
Who Can You Trust with a Spare Key? – South Shore Locksmith
9. Keep Your Home Safe Before You Go Away
Sometimes you just need to get away from it all, but worrying about whether your home is safe while you’re away can put a damper on your vacation plans. Strategic lighting (see #7 on this list) is a smart tactic, as is keeping your virtual updates down as you gear up for your time out of town. While it can be tempting to tell all of your social networking followers that you’re thrilled about your upcoming vacation in Hawaii, you’re also letting a bunch of strangers know your home will be empty for a week. Consider posting your vacation photos AFTER you return, and also consider taking off the location feature of your social media accounts so people don’t know where you are at all times.
Other clues about an unoccupied home can include an overflowing mailbox, uncut grass, or a TV that doesn’t turn on for several days. Have a neighbor stop by the house at different times to collect the mail, water plants, care for pets, and turn lights and a radio on and off. Or make use of a home automation app to vary the electronics that are running in your home while you’re gone.
How to Secure Your Home While You’re On Vacation (Video) – Howcast
How Burglars Use Facebook to Target Travelers – International Business Times
Basic Tips to Keep Your Home Safe During a Vacation – Independent Traveler
Home Security Tips for Travelers – USA Today
10. Home Security on the Go
Home Automation:
The best security systems give you some control over your home even when you’re miles away. This capability keeps you connected when you’re out and about and can help keep would-be burglars on their toes. You can turn lights on and off at will or activate your system if you forgot to set it.
Access through your phone can further help you fool the bad guys. Let’s say someone knocks on your door when you’re away. With a stealth camera set up at the door that beams your lovely face and voice to the visitor, you could look like you’re home when you’re really just looking through your phone’s camera.
How to Build Your Smart Home: A Beginner's Guide – PC Magazine
Understanding Home Automation and Security Systems – Electronic House
Optimizing Home Security Camera Positioning – Steve’s Digicams
Prevent Home Burglary: The Definitive Guide appeared first on CreditDonkey