How to Protect your Home from Burglars

Here is a post that was sent to me, that gives some good ideas on preventing burglary.

Howard

One of the most common crimes in the world is burglary, but it is also one of the easiest to prevent. If this happens in your home, hopefully you or your family members are not home. A burglary can have a major impact on a person’s life, whether he or she was present or not. It can be financially damaging especially if the personal belongings and cash were taken.

Break-ins can be easily prevented. There are a lot of things that can help you secure your home, and many ways to prevent burglaries from happening to you. Here are some tips on how to burglar-proof your home

  1. Do not announce to the world that you will be away

Burglars want the house to be empty as much as you do not want to be present when a break in happens. Announcing on any platform that the family will be away is the same as inviting every thief living out there. Try to make your house look like there are people in it while you are away suggested How Stuff Works. This can help people stay out of your property as much as possible. Here are some tips on how to protect your home from burglars and making it look like occupied:

-Turn the volume of your telephone down, so that people outside cannot hear the phone ring. Burglars sometimes call the house phone to check if anyone is home. If possible, have your calls forwarded as well.

-Do not leave notes on the door saying that you will be back in _____ number of days. This is an open invitation for burglars to come in and take advantage of your absence.

-Secure your home with automatic light timers, so that lights turn on and off at a specific time set by you. This will create the impression that there is someone in the house. You can also incorporate this in your driveway entry alert alarms making the house as foolproof as possible.

  1. Make it a challenge for them to break in

Burglars would rather break in a house that has its doors or windows unlocked, than one with doors and windows that are backed up by high quality locks. One of the best ways to prevent break-ins is to purchase locks that have internal anti-saw and anti-drill pins, so that it will be hard to saw or drill through the bolt. Avoid leaving ladders or anything a thief can climb up on to get into your home as well.

3. Make it hard for them to hide

Taking away a robber’s cover will lessen chances of him/her attempting to break in according to WebMD. They can hide behind trees or bushes, so make sure to trim them down. You can also use thorny plants to hurt the robbers. Ensure that all entry points of your home are well lit, so that anyone attempting to break in can easily be seen by neighbors or people around the area. Lights with alarm system motion sensors are a plus, since the illumination whenever someone passes by attracts attention.

4. Install a good home security system for your home

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These home security alarms do not guarantee that burglars will run out of the house as soon as they ring, but they will help. However, they can increase the chances of thieves getting caught, which make it less likely for them to stay in your home. Also, use glass-break sensors that will set off alarms once a window or a glass panel is broken. Try to make it obvious to people that your house is equipped with alarms by putting a yard sign and window stickers saying that the house is protected by a security system. There should be a multitude of choices from your alarm system store. Stores can also give you tips on installing a security system like wired and wireless alarm.

5. Purchase a firearm

Firearms should be the last resort to ward off any burglars, since burglars may be carrying deadly weapons as well. If it comes to it, having a pistol or a revolver in your home could save your life. Though it can give added security, there is also added risk when you have a firearm in your home. Be sure to keep your gun out of reach of your children, and make sure that you know how to properly operate it. Family safety should still be a priority. If it so happens that thieves enter your home while you are there, try leaving your home immediately and call the police. Once again, brandishing a firearm is the last resort on how to deter burglars. The last thing you want to do is seriously hurt or kill someone, or end up getting into a gunfight with the thief.

6. Be friends with your neighbors

The best security to combat burglary is neighbors who look out for each other WebMD suggested. Try making an effort to befriend your neighbors, so that you can ask them for favors when you are out of town. Also consider setting up a neighborhood watch, if your area does not have one yet.

7. Do not show your newly purchased items

As much as possible, avoid showing anything newly bought according to Bankrate. This applies especially to new televisions, game consoles, and other electronics and appliances that will sell for a lot of money on the street. Do not leave empty boxes of new things outside because this only shows potential burglars what new items you have. Protect your house by being as private as you can.

Burglary has been a problem throughout the years. Often, homeowners or property owners become vulnerable to theft and trespassing for being too lax on security. Despite how the neighborhood appears to be, it is always in the best interest of homeowners to invest on additional security like surveillance cameras. Likewise, keeping up to date with the news can also be an effective way to prevent any burglary. The news offers fresh insights on what perpetrators are using these days to commit the crime. Call your local police office and ask for additional information. Looking up on the latest security systems can also provide extra security. Educate members of the family on ways to look out for the house and double-checking houses whether inside or outside the home.

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14 thoughts on “How to Protect your Home from Burglars”

  1. Great tips !! Burglaries are such an invasion of privacy, even worse if your home at the time. Think of your personal safety first!

  2. Courtney Galler

    Very informative article. I thought that #2 was a very interesting point; I’ll have to see if I can find any of those anti-saw locks for my home. My husband and I have been working on our home security. We’ve put rose bushes in front of our windows, and we’ve been making sure to use the deadbolts on our doors. One thing we’re thinking about installing is an alarm system. We’ll have to shop around, and see what our options are.

  3. Very useful tips and great article. Making sure that you don’t broadcast that you’re going on holiday is very important. Thanks for sharing with us.

  4. Having a friend or a family memeber house sit is always a good idea as well. They don’t even need to stay there all the time, just stop by to grab the mail, watch some tv at night, and if they are willing they can stay over. If it’s a short trip, just having someone come over and grab the mail and watch some TV will deter burglars as well. Besides just locking the windows and doors, you should have an alarm system that will go off if the windows or doors are opened up.

  5. At whatever time you leave the house, try to create an illusion that someone is in fact still home. Just thinking that someone is in the house can greatly put off a burglar from entering. For example, leave on a light, TV, or music when you are gone.

  6. A few weeks ago, someone tried to break into our home while we were away on vacation. There was a some damage to our door and some of our windows. Luckily our neighbors heard the commotion and scared them away. Since then, we have been looking into alarm systems to install in our home. We will definitely use these tips in the future, thank you for sharing!

  7. Good post with good points. It is helpful to be reminded of best practices for crime prevention. Installing alarm system is a good choice. Security systems like “wireless alarms” provide security even when we are not in our house..It was recent that I got a security system installed from Protection plus . I always prefer a wireless security system.

  8. I really like your tip “do not announce to the world that you will be away.” That sounds like a really awesome way to make sure that people don’t know that you are going to be gone from your home. My husband and I have been thinking about getting a security system so we will have to keep these tips in mind, thanks!

  9. Along with the tip about not announcing when you have left your home, I would add not to post on social media platforms about being away. You can post about your adventures when you get back to your home, but it’s easy for people to break into your home when they find out that you are gone. Nowadays it doesn’t take a lot of effort to find out that someone is going away on a trip so it’s important to keep your whereabouts silence until you get back.

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