Tips To Keep Your Home Safe From Burglars

Tips To Keep Your Home Safe From Burglars

A home invasion is one of the scariest occurrences that can happen to a homeowner. Even if you’re not at home when the invasion happens, it is still completely terrifying.

If you are at home when it happens, you can forget about sleeping ever again, or at least for a long time. Of the estimated three million burglaries that happen yearly, only around seven percent included a violent altercation. If this isn’t setting your mind at ease, we don’t blame you.

Before you resort to installing a barb wire fence, we’ve got a few tips for keeping your home safe from an invasion. It’s not as hard as you’d think!

Invest In A Security System

Let’s face it, there is no better protection for your home than a security system. Having a security system installed by a professional and reputable company proven to get results will deter any potential burglars from your home.

The firstsecurityservices.com website says that systems come in a variety of packages that are tailored to every budget, so you are able to access home protection that works with your budget. Video surveillance, alarms and lights are all common when it comes to security system installations.

There are also many ways in which to trigger a system, whether it be by cracking a lock, opening a door when the system is armed or breaking a window. Deciding what will work for your family is what is most important.
For example, someone with small children might find a more sensitive security system to be obnoxious. The options are plentiful, and you’ll be able to find one that exists in harmony with your lifestyle.

Keep Expensive Items Out of View

A great start to protection from burglaries is making sure that your home doesn’t show any weaknesses. You can call the local police station to perform a test by walking around your house from the outside to look for such weaknesses.

 A weakness can be anything from faulty locks to visible electronics. If a thief can easily spot a brand new laptop charging on the counter, you might have a problem.

There’s no need to completely change the look of your home just because you fear a burglary, and you’d like to keep expensive items hidden. Take a stroll around the inside of your home and make little changes where it’s convenient for you, such as switching up the charging spot for that laptop!

Stay On Top Of Your Landscape

All trees, grass, shrubbery and other landscaping around the entrances and walkways to your home should be kept short and trimmed. Not only does it give off the appearance of the homeowner consistently being around, but there will be no place for potential burglars to hide.

You could also build a fence! A six foot privacy fence is a great way to deter any sort of nonsense from coming into your yard. That includes raccoons and people who want to steal your things.

Fencing is relatively easy to install yourself, and there are many options available that don’t involve digging or pouring concrete. Also, fencing doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. It can be a wonderful, budget friendly option to significantly lower the chances of a break in. Just make sure you keep your gate locked!

Motion Sensor Lights

An easy home installation to keep your property safe from burglaries are motion sensor lights. Whenever they sense motion, typically from a certain range, the lights will click on.
The great thing about a motion sensor light is that thieves have no idea if the light is a motion sensor light, or if it’s been turned on by someone they thought wasn’t home. They will rarely take the time to hang around and find out.

Keep Your Keys To Yourself

We know it’s hard, but try not to leave a spare key outside. Doing this only gives thieves a really easy way to get into your home. If you need a spare key, keep it in your vehicle, or better yet, a neighbor you trust. Leaving it in a fake rock, on top of the door frame or under the mat is a recipe for disaster.

Speaking of neighbors, they are your best resource for home protection when you go on vacation. Let them know when you’re leaving, how long you’ll be gone and ask them to collect any packages and mail that builds up. Not only are they doing you a favor, they will be warding off burglars by making it look like you’re home!

Always Lock Your Doors

Many people consider their neighborhood safe and leave without locking up. While this may be true, even the safest neighborhoods can have issues with some sort of crime, breaking and entering included.

When you leave your home, lock up every door and window every single time. Burglars tend to be on a time crunch, and they’re looking for a quick way in, especially during the daytime hours. Locking up prevents that possibility. It might seem like common sense, but locked doors prevent many burglaries.

Better Safe Than Sorry

There are many ways, some of them completely obvious, that you can protect your home from potential thieves. It’s not about looking for the bad, but more about setting yourself up for the good.

Taking the first steps to home security might seem a bit ridiculous to anyone who has never had an experience with crime in their neighborhood. It’s important to remember that crime, even in gated, affluent neighborhoods, can pop up. If you’ve taken necessary measures to protect your home and your family, you can prevent burglaries without even knowing it.

At the very least you’ll sleep better at night.

Guest Contributor, Tom Masters