Sadly in the US alone, there are around 3,370 home burglaries per day. It is thought home is stolen every 30 seconds, meaning that to reduce the risk of your home becoming a target, you need to pay close attention to your security features and your behaviors, so thieves don’t take advantage of you and your belongings and invite themselves into your home without your permission.
Pay great attention to your home’s surroundings, including the front and rear yards. Minor alterations may signal that your home is being cased.
It is common for thieves to mark houses to see if anyone is at home and then alter the mark to remind them that the house is still in their possession. These stains might be as basic as a missing welcome mat or as complex as a miscellaneous object that has been left outside your property regularly.
The marks are frequently indicative of what is known as a “house draught.” When a burglar sets an object in front of your home, this is referred to as a house draught. If you take the thing out of the room, you’ll be back home. Burglars will see that the time has come to take advantage of the situation if you don’t.
What can you do to make your home secure and deter burglars?
Lock Doors and Windows
Burglars are 34% more likely to break in through the front door if you let them in via leaving the door open or unlocked or physically opening it to them. If your door has a mail slot, make sure that no one can reach through it to unlock the door. Inspect your outside doors to ensure that the door frames are robust and the hinges are secured.
If you’re moving into a house previously occupied by someone else, you should change the locks on the doors. This way, no one else will have access to your home’s key, and you can ensure that your locks are among the best available. You should consider a residential rekey to secure your locks.
Use tools such as deadbolts, strike plates, video doorbells, and door alarms to alert you to the presence of anyone at your door who shouldn’t be there.
The same applies to your windows too. Ensure all windows that can open are locked, and any damaged windows are repaired to reduce the ease with which a burglar can gain access. Window sensors can alarm when opened without consent, and window dressings such as blinds and curtains can obscure the view inside your home to keep your belongings from view. Security film and window bars are significant deterrents too.
Lights
Darkness is a welcome blanket for would-be intruders as it makes it easier for them to gain access and exit unnoticed, and it makes identifying them harder. Use internal and external lighting options to right up your home when you are home and away. Automatic sensor lighting activates when someone approaches the property and can alert you or your home security system that someone is around. Light also makes it easier to identify perpetrators should you experience a break-in.
Solar lighting can be great for that dusk period, as can lighting for outdoors, you can turn on and off from inside your homes, such as porch lights, front door lighting, or pathway lights connected to your home’s electrical system. Lights you can hook up to a smart home system that can be scheduled to turn on and off is a great option.
Video Surveillance and Home Security
A video-enabled security system can alert you to intruders and provide evidence of a break-in to identify who accessed your property and lead to their arrest. Many smart home systems allow for the use of video-enabled products to connect to the system, such as doorbells enabling you to view live footage via an app on your phone.
Home security systems using video footage can be a great deterrent on their own, especially if you have visible warnings on your property to alert people to this. Burglars do not want to be recognized, and knowing this can happen can persuade them to leave their homes alone.
There are different types of home security systems on the market, and they can be as basic or as sophisticated as you choose to, depending on your budget and requirements. Professional home security options give you the backup on constant monitoring. They can alert the authorities on your behalf if you cannot provide you with greater levels of protection.
Landscaping
Your landscaping or lack thereof can provide many opportunities for burglars to hide out or hide things around your home, identifying it as a potential target. Remove anything that can act as a cover to help you to increase security.
Trees, shrubbery, gaps between your house and a garage, for example, can all be good hiding spots, as can a messy external area give them the motive to gain access to your house. For example, if your lawn is unkempt, they can walk up to your front door under the pretense of offering landscaping services and then proceed to make your home, scan it for potential items to steal or force themselves inside while you are home. As terrifying as that sounds, it does happen, and knowing how the front and rear areas of your property can aid burglars can help you to remove risks leading to greater security.
Store Valuable Away
Having all of your expensive items and valuables in plain sight can be enticing for home invaders. Remove the allure from view by storing your high-value items out of sight. Lock them away in safes or hide them in cupboards and if you do have them on display, use window coverings to make sure they are shielded from view. The harder it is for people to see what you own. The less likely they are to force entry to your home.
Pay attention to your habits both inside and outside the home to reduce the risk of break-ins and becoming a victim of this awful crime. In many cases, burglars aren’t always apprehended by the police, which can have massive financial implications for people as they rebuild their lives after being burgled.
What do you think?