Buying or building a house is not easy. It takes a lot to build or buy a house of your own. And when you have a house of your own, you must make it safe and protect your home from burglary and theft. Isn’t it? Whether you are living in a rented apartment or you live in your own house, if you are not sure about how to protect your home from burglary and theft, then here are a few of the best home safety tips and hacks that’ll help you make your house safer and protected from common theft and burglary attempts.
The number
of burglary cases is increasing day by day, and in many cases, it has actually
occurred in the presence of the family members. So, you better be aware as not
only can burglary lead to huge loss of property, but may also become a serious
threat to the safety of your family members.
Our home is supposed to be the safest place for us. But sadly, sometime it is no more safe, thanks to the burglars. And, the most common reason behind that is lack of home safety awareness.
We are not always
aware of the innovative tricks the burglars use to break in inside the homes.
However, it is better late than never.
So, if you
want your home to be well protected then start keeping yourself updated about
the burglary cases happening around you, and accordingly take preventive
measures.
However, if you are unsure and confused and wondering from where to start and how to make your home burglary and theft proof then continue reading these home safety tips to protect your home from burglary and theft attempts.
25 safety tips to protect your home from burglary
You are the owner of your home and no one knows your home better than you. So, why allow the burglars to fool you and rob you of your riches? Try out these safety tricks to protect your home from burglary and theft, and ensure that your home is safe for your family.
Some of the home safety features may cost you few extra bucks. But it is far less than what you may lose, in case your home becomes a target of the burglars. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Here are a few of the best home safety tips to protect your home from burglary and theft:
Keep the doors locked
Many have a
habit of leaving their doors open mistakenly while going out which make their
homes very easy targets for the burglars and thefts. So, it is important that
you become responsible and make it your habit to check your door every time you
leave your home or even when you are inside your home.
This, I
think, is the simplest way to protect your home from burglary.
Lock the windows
It is safer
to keep the windows locked when you are outside of your home. This is because
when they can’t enter your home using the doors, in most cases they try to
target the windows. And, an open window, make things easier for burglars and
thefts.
Secure the doors and windows
Apart from
keeping your doors and windows closed when you are away, it is also important to
ensure that the doors and windows are strong enough to prevent break in.
As far as
doors are concerned, make sure you change the locks if it is a rented apartment,
if this was previously owned by someone else.
Also,
install a deadbolt, change to smart locks, go for video doorbell and make sure
your door has a peephole to make things more secure for you.
As far as
the windows are concerned, you may add window bars, install glass break
sensors, plant prickly bushes under the windows of the first floor etc.
Install alarm system
Most of the time, the burglars and thieves avoid homes having an alarm system. So when you have a home alarm system installed, and if any burglar target to break in your home and encounter the alarm system, he, in high probability will run away.
Keep the lights on
One of the
important tricks to protect your home from burglary is to keep the lights of
your home on even when you are not at home. It is not that you have to keep all
the lights on, all the time. Switching on one interior light and one on the
exterior will give the impression to the burglars that you are home, and that
may discourage them from attacking your home.
Turn on the TV simulator
Another way
you can fool the thieves into believing that you are home is by turning on the
TV simulator before leaving the home. This actually produces light of high
intensity, color changes and on screen motion which gives an impression that
someone is in the home watching TV.
Fence and boundary wall
If your home
does not have a fence yet, then try to build a fence immediately to keep the
unwanted people away from your property. It is better if you go for ornamental
metal fencing or open chain link as they are secured into concrete and cannot
be easily lifted.
Avoid the
solid fences as they are easier to climb but if you still want them, try to
make them secure with sharp pointed tops.
Drawn the curtains
It is better
to keep the curtains drawn most of the time as this will prevent the unwanted
people for peeping inside your house and inspecting it.
This is not
only applicable for the curtains in your rooms but also in case of the curtains
in your garage.
Use motion sensor lighting
Installing
motion sensor lighting (especially at the entry points) can definitely help protect
your home from burglary and theft. This is because the moment any potential
intruder comes near your entrance, you will get the warning. This is a really
good thing to have. You may like to go for more and more motion detectors at
the entrances and all the dark corners and potential hiding places of your
home.
Secure the garage
Sometimes the burglars may enter your house through the garage or even if they cannot enter the home, they steal expensive items stored in the garage. So, you should ensure that your garage is fully protected and secured from burglars. And to secure your home from theft or burglary, you may go for extra keys or get smart door opener installed. A security code to open the gate is also a good option to try.
Install security cameras
One of the
best ways to keep your home safe from the burglars is by installing the
security cameras at every entry point in your home. In most cases, the burglars
avoid homes having security cameras. Also, if you go for security cameras, you
will be able to monitor your home all the time even when you are away or even
review the recorded footage if needed and send it to the law enforcement
agencies when needed.
Trim the shrubs and bushes
Make it a
point to keep the shrubs and bushes properly trimmed from time to time as they
most of the time, act as the hiding places for the burglars. Also, make sure
the branches of the trees do not come too close to the windows as the burglars
may use those to enter your house or inside your property.
Be friends with neighbors
If you have
good neighbors, then you are actually blessed because they can help prevent
burglary in some cases. This is because they become those extra pairs of eyes
always looking after your home when you are not at home. Crimes are lesser in
tight-knit communities so it is better you turn your neighbors into your
closest pals.
Keep the garden free
It is
important that you keep your yard free of interesting things like toys, tools
and ladders. The reason is very simple. It gives the burglars a signal that
your home may have more interesting things which in turn can motivate them to target
your home.
Light-up the streets
Burglars
usually want to work in the dark so if your neighborhood is well lit then that
may discourage the burglars from attacking your home or in that case, any home
in your neighborhood. So, talk to the neighborhood association and increase the
lighting on the streets as well the surroundings.
Neighborhood watch program
Try to form
a neighborhood watch program. This will not just help you in knowing all your
neighbors better but will also create a lot of awareness and commitment to
preventing crimes in your area. You may have a word with the local police and
ask them to help your group get important information about how they can
identify the suspicious person and what they need to do if they identify one. Earlier,
people used to protect their home and the surroundings by forming neighborhood
watch groups.
Highlight house number
Installing
large reflecting numbers in the home and in the mailboxes actually helps the
police to act out quick during an emergency because the reflective numbers help
in identifying your home quickly. Burglars usually prefer dark houses that are
difficult to identify but if yours is not, maybe they will reconsider their
decision to attack your home.
Secure your car
If you have
a car, make sure you have secured it as well. Even if it is parked inside your
property, never leave it unlocked. Avoid keeping anything valuable inside your
car when you are away. Also, make it your habit to roll up the windows when you
are not driving. And yes, never leave a spare key in the visor or anywhere
inside the car even if you have locked the car.
Lock the WIFI network
You may not know this
but your WIFI can actually become a door for other people to know about your
personal and financial information. And, it actually may also lead to break-ins
if you have home automation. Also, if the WIFI is connected to the home
security, it will become easier for the burglars to directly assess your home.
Avoid updating your trip
If you are
going out of town and you won’t be at your home for a long time, you have to
become a little more cautious. Like for example, do not update about your trip
or location it on social media because you never know you may be actually
passing the information to some potential burglar who may take the advantage of
your absence and rob your home.
Keep a dog
One of
the best ways to keep the burglars away from your home is by keeping a pet dog
at your home. The burglars often avoid homes having dogs, so keeping a dog may help
protect your house from burglars and thieves. Moreover, the dogs have got good
intuitive power and they can bark and make you alert and you can act accordingly.
Put in window air conditioners
Installing
window air conditioner units are a great way not just to keep the interiors
cool but also to protect your home from the burglars. How? Well, the AC units
will block the entry into your home through the windows in the first floor
which are otherwise one of the most favored entry points that burglars use.
Keep the wires covered
You may
have installed a home security and is satisfied that your home is safe but what
if the burglar notices it and tries to disable it by cutting the wires? Well,
for that, it is better to conceal the exterior wires in electrical conducts as
then it will become hard for them to find and snip them.
Hire with caution
Many
times, burglars pose themselves as one of the professionals and enter your home.
So, whenever you are hiring anyone be it housekeepers, contractors, handymen
etc., be very careful and do not let anyone enter unless you are very sure of
their identity. Ask for their ID cards right away, before letting them in.
Leave the radio on and turn down the doorbell
In many
cases, the burglars ring the doorbell or knock the door to find out whether
anyone is home or not. But if you turn down the doorbell as well as keep the
radio on, then that will confuse the burglars whether you are not at home or
you are not able to simply hear the doorbell.
Over to you
If you want to live peacefully in your home, then tightening the security of your home is seriously important. And therefore, before you move in to your new home, you got to ensure that your home is fully safe and secured. Break-ins have been common previously as well, but nowadays the burglars are using more innovative ways to get into your home. So, you got to be more vigilant, aware and well prepared to prevent any burglary or theft attempt at your home.
I have already shared a few of the best home safety tips to protect your home from burglary and theft. Some of the hacks may sound like simple, but they are actually good safety measures to make you home burglary and theft proof.
What else do you think
one can do to protect their home and make it super safe from thieves and
burglars? How do you protect you’re your home?
Share your safety tips
and hacks by commenting below.
