Home break-ins are not something homeowners like to think about, but the sad reality is no matter where you live you are subject to a potential break-in. Fortunately there are things you can do to help prevent these tragic events. Here are some tips on what burglars look for when robbing a house and how you can prevent it.
Install An Alarm
Home security alarms are much different today than they were say 10 or 15 years ago. You don’t have to have a land line telephone in order to have one, and some of the systems allow you to monitor conditions remotely from your smartphone. Prices range, but some systems can be had for as little as $1/day. Burglars want to attract as little attention to themselves as possible, so a blaring alarm will send them running before they know what to do.
Lock Your Doors and Windows
This sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t lock their doors and windows, especially if they think they live in a safe neighborhood. Unlocked doors are an open invitation for burglars to roam freely in your home.
Lights, Camera, No Action
Installing strategically placed lights and cameras are more weapons in your arsenal against burglars. Motion activated lights will automatically turn on, exposing would be criminals and a surveillance camera or cameras will allow you to see exactly what is going on when you aren’t at home. Combine these items along with your security system and you are well on your way to protecting all your beloved possessions.
Lock Up Valuable Items
The last line of protection of your most valuable items is to lock them up in a secure location. Don’t just put them in a safe, but hide the safe or if you can’t hide it – bolt it to the floor. Make it hard for burglars to do their dirty work. If you’ve followed all the steps above they won’t have time to crack the safe or load it up for a quick getaway.
What NOT To Do!
Here are some tips on what burglars look for and what you should avoid.
Don’t post on social media about being out of town for x amount of days. Even if you have your profiles on lock down, you’d be surprised at what information can be accessed online.
Don’t put all your big purchase boxes out by the trash. You may have purchased a big screen tv, laptop, or high end gaming system but don’t let the outsiders know it. These empty boxes by your trash tell everyone what’s inside your home. Break the boxes down into little pieces and put them in bags.
Don’t invite strangers in your home. A growing trend in home robberies is through invitation. That’s right, many burglars are bold enough to scour sites like Craigslist and offer to buy whatever you are selling just so they can gain access to your home. If you need to sell something online, tell the buyer that you’ll meet them at a parking lot by the police station or some other public location.