Burglary is one of the most common crimes, occurring once every 15 seconds in the US, yet it’s also one of the easiest to prevent. Of course, the best thing you can do is purchase a high quality security system equipped with alarms and cameras. However, there are several other cost-effective and critical steps to take to make sure your home is as safe and as least attractive to burglars as possible. While most of these steps aren’t going to make your home any more break-in proof, they will certainly make your house a less attractive target.
1. Keep up with landscaping:
Having untrimmed and large shrubs and bushes give intruders a great place to hide and along with having long grass, makes it appear that the owners have been away for a while. It also important to make sure that there’s no trees, shrubs, or bushes that blocking your ability to see through the windows.
2. Never leave ladders outside:
Leaving a ladder in plain view is a way of showing intruders that they have easy access to nearly any part of your home. Be sure to put ladders away and lock them up in a garage or shed if possible.
3. Alarm system decals:
Even if you don’t have an alarm system installed, having alarm system decals, such as the one below, gives burglars the impression that you do and deters them from breaking into your home.
4. Motion sensor outdoor lighting:
It’s very important that your home and yard aren’t completely dark during night time. Not having motion sensor lighting allows an intruder to enter and leave your home without a single light turning on and makes your home a very attractive option for their crime.
5. Install timers
Hooking up timers to indoor lights and televisions allows you to have your lights and TVs turned on while you’re away and gives potential burglars the impression that you are home.
6. Keep expensive items out of view:
It’s a great idea to not have valuable electronics and other expensive items in clear view through the ground-level windows. Burglars will sometimes “window shop” when trying to find an optimal home to break into.
7. Don't advertise new purchases:
Leaving empty boxes from a new computer or television sends a signal to burglars that there’s valuable items inside your home. It’s best to hide the boxes among the rest of your garbage or dispose of them in another manner.
8. Don't let mail/newspapers pile up:
A pile of newspapers at your doorstep or a mailbox that’s on the brink of overfilling sends a message that you’ve been away from home. A solution would be having the post office hold your mail while you’re gone.