When you leave town for a trip, burglars will be looking for an opportunity. Burglars are looking for particular elements – things like valuables, an abandoned house, and weak locks or means of entry. You can make sure they don’t want to break in, and keep them from getting inside even if they want to. With some basic techniques, you can make your house unattractive to burglars. Here are our top four ways to do that:
1. Don’t advertise you’re away
If all the lights are off for several days in a row, that’s a sure sign to burglars that nobody’s home. A simple way to change that is to get a light timer, that turns lamps and other lights on and off at a certain time of day. Some light timers can be programmed with slightly different times each day, so it’s more unpredictable. It’s also possible to automatically open and close the curtains, or to turn computers and TVs on. Burglars will also look for a yard that hasn’t been mowed, or in the winter, snow without footprints or that hasn’t been shoveled. If you’ll be gone for a long time, arrange to have someone tend to the yard so it looks like someone is there. You can also have a neighbor pick up your mail so it doesn’t seem to stack up. When you’re at home, always park your car in the garage with the garage door closed. That way, when you’re gone, your house won’t look any different from usual.
2. Don’t display valuables
Most burglars are window-shoppers. They look for valuable things like large-screen TVs, speaker systems, game consoles, sports equipment, weapons, and costly jewelry. To keep burglars from targeting your home, keep these items out of sight. It’s ideal if the entertainment center faces the backyard or isn’t in a room with front windows. Just closing the curtains while the indoor lights are on can keep burglars from seeing what’s inside.
3. Make it Difficult to Hide
When looking for a place to rob, burglars check the surroundings. Trees and hedges can make good hiding places, but automatic exterior lights can discourage intruders. We recommend that you keep the bushes trimmed so they don’t cast a long shadow or conceal people. Also, front-yard fencing that hides the house is not a good idea, because neighbors can’t see people crouching behind it. Most exterior lights can work from dusk to dawn, and you can program them to switch on if they detect any movement. When the area is suddenly flooded with light, burglars are more likely to back away because the situation feels more risky and less secretive.
4. Have an Effective Security System
The title of #4 says it all but just in case you wanted even more check out the bullet point below for bonus tips:
- Locks (and keyless locks), strong doors, alarms
- Keep valuables out of view – burglars start with window-shopping and blinds can make all the difference
- Big boxes indicate big purchases, break them down and discard of them so they can’t be seen.
- Timer lights make it look like you’re home
- Solid doors can’t be kicked in
- Doors with windows should have protective glass
- Have deadbolts
- Just lock all your doors and windows, really
