If you’re a homeowner, then you know that one of your top priorities is keeping your family and belongings safe from harm. While there are plenty of steps you can take to secure your home, such as investing in a home security system, one of the best things you can do is to deter robbers from breaking in in the first place. Here are three tips to help you do just that:
1. Do not tempt thieves
One of the easiest ways to deter robbers is to keep your valuables out of sight. If a robber can’t see what they want, then they’re much less likely to break in. Store anything of value inside, even barbecue grills, lawn mowers, or bicycles.
As for your indoor areas, keep your windows and glass door panels covered with curtains. If you have any items of value in your home, such as jewelry or electronics, make sure to keep them hidden away in a safe place, too. Apart from these, the most popular items for robberies are cash, prescription drugs, unmounted TVs, AI assistants, firearms, power tools, and kitchen equipment.
Ultimately, you want to try to keep your home looking simple, or at the very least, you want it to look like it’s more trouble than it’s worth.
2. Make Your Home Look Occupied
Another way to deter robbers is to make it look like someone is always home. You can do this by leaving a light on when you leave the house, setting up timers for your lights, or using smart lights and smart home devices that allow you to control your appliances from afar. You can also ask your local post office and newspaper delivery service to hold any deliveries to avoid them accumulating, which is an indicator of an empty house. Additionally, having a dog can also help make it look like someone is always home since dogs tend to bark when someone comes near the house. Robbers don’t like dogs either, as many dogs will not hesitate to bite intruders.
The best thing you can do is to ask a person you trust to house-sit for you. That way, there really is someone there, and any pets you leave behind can be well-taken care of. They can also make sure that any deliveries like newspapers, mail, online orders, or subscription magazines don’t accumulate at your front door.
3. Make Your Home Harder to Break Into
One of the simplest but most effective things you can do to prevent robbers from breaking into your house is to make sure all of your doors and windows, including your garage, are locked at all times. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t actually lock their doors and windows on a regular basis. You should also consider glass doors as vulnerable points of entry. There are ways to make them harder to break. Consider looking for special locks or even installing grilles (which may be eyesores, but they keep your things safe).
One more thing you can get is a home security system. While there are some initial costs to installing a security system, the long-term benefits are well worth it. Security systems can deter robbers from breaking in, and they can also provide peace of mind in knowing that your loved ones are safe. However, there are some drawbacks to home security systems. One is that they can be expensive to install and maintain. Additionally, they can sometimes be cumbersome and difficult to use. If you’re not careful, you may end up setting off the alarm accidentally, which could lead to a false alarm.
Having a fence helps, too — not only is a fence a physical barrier, but it also makes it harder to look into your house to see if anyone is home or if anything is worth stealing. If you have a metal fence for privacy, a robber would have to climb over it first to get into your property. This might dissuade them from trying in the first place.
Conclusion:
Robberies are becoming more and more common, so it’s important that homeowners take steps to protect their homes. While there are many different things you can do to secure your home, such as investing in a home security system, one of the best things you can do is to deter robbers from breaking in in the first place. By following these three tips—keeping your valuables out of sight, making your home look occupied, and keeping your doors and windows locked—you can help keep your home safe from harm.
