Did you know that burglary is the second most common crime in the United States? The real figure is of course much higher as not everyone reports this kind of crime. Despite these figures, many American families make fundamental mistakes in securing their homes.
This article lists eight steps you can take to prevent break-ins that go beyond simply installing a security alarm system. With these tips, you will make your home much less attractive to criminals, decreasing the chances that you will be a victim of crime.
1. Make Your Home Look Occupied
One of the biggest home security tips is to take steps to make your home appear occupied. Burglars are opportunists who are always looking for an easy target. In the majority of cases, a burglar is looking for a house that has no one in it.
This means one of the best ways to deter burglars is to make it look like someone is home. If you go on vacation, it makes sense to set up lights on timers. This can make it look like someone is thereby making the lights go on and off at the normal time.
2. Never Hide Keys Outside
Many people like to hide keys outside their home in case of an emergency. For example, a lot of people like to hide a spare key under a garden gnome. While this might be very useful in certain situations, it isn’t worth it.
Burglars are incredibly aware that people do this, and they know exactly where people like to hide their keys. The kind of burglary where the intruder finds a key can be devastating because your insurance usually won’t pay out if there was no evidence of forced entry.
3. Always Change the Locks on a New Home
Whenever you move into a new condo, house, or apartment, you should always change the locks. You never know who might have a copy of the keys. A common trick is to copy keys for an apartment and then use them to rob the place years later.
Even if you trust the previous owners, they may have lost a key at some point and forgotten about it. Changing the locks is the only way to be sure you have the only copies of the keys in existence.
4. Don’t Announce Vacations on Social Media
The age of social media has made things very easy for burglars. Quite often people will announce their vacations on social media platforms. They’ll also post endless vacation pictures while they’re there.
This makes it very easy for a criminal to know your house will be empty for an extended period. In some cases, the victim might even have advertized their return date.
If you want to keep your house and your belongings safe, it makes sense to save all of your vacation photos for when you return. Even if you trust people on your social media profiles, you never know if someone’s account has been compromised.
5. Keep Doors and Windows Locked
One thing to keep in mind is that burglars are opportunists. If you take away the opportunity, chances are you won’t get robbed. Leaving windows and doors open or unlocked increases the possibility that someone will break-in.
You’d be surprised at the ways burglars can gain entry to your house. A small open window on the 2nd floor could seem inaccessible, but a burglar could easily use it to gain entry to your house.
Always close and lock all of the windows in your house before you leave.
6. Trim Shrubs and Bushes
Another thing that presents an opportunity for burglars is when you have a lot of shrubs and bushes around your property. These give burglars the opportunity to hide, reducing the chance that they’ll get caught.
If you want to make your house less attractive to burglars, consider trimming shrubs and bushes to cut down on the number of possible hiding places.
7. Install Motion Sensor Lights
Burglars like to stay in the shadows, so installing motion sensor lights is a great way to deter them. Not only do these types of lights allow you to potentially catch a burglar in the act, but they also act as a psychological defense.
Even if you’re not home, being lit up by a motion-detecting light will make a burglar feel less secure in what they’re doing. They may decide to try another house instead.
Motion sensor lights are also good for other purposes. For example, they can make your yard a lot safer to navigate.
8. Test Your Security System
When considering how to prevent break-ins people usually think about installing alarm systems. What many people forget is to test their current systems.
You might have an alarm system installed, but if you don’t test it, how would you know if it’s functioning properly? Make sure you take the time a few times a year to test your alarm system and make sure it works.
If you notice any problems with your alarm system, you should call a professional to do some repairs and maintenance. An alarm system is a fantastic deterrent system. You need to keep it in full working order if you want to get all the benefits.
Now You Know How to Prevent Break-Ins
So now you know some steps you can take to prevent break-ins. The key thing to remember is that burglary is generally a crime of opportunity. If you make it easy for a burglar, it’s likely that they will take advantage.
On the other hand, if you make a burglar’s life more difficult, they’ll generally simply try to steal from someone else. Security systems can certainly help, but they’re not foolproof. You also need to be aware of potential security issues in your day-to-day life.
If you don’t have a security system installed in your home, you should consider it. There’s no better way to keep burglars away. Contact us to learn more about installation.
