For people in most areas around the world, the days of nonchalantly leaving your home and car unlocked are from days gone by. Neglecting to secure your home can, and for most people will, result in a burglary. It is important that you are aware of all the ways that you can protect your home. To effectively protect your property, yourself and your family, it is necessary to control access to your home, maintain your property, and increase the visibility around your property. The tips included here will help with all of those tasks.
Alarm Systems
You have two main options when it comes to alarm systems: you could get a dog, or you could get a home security and alarm system. In fact, combining these two “alarms” is your best bet. Try to get a home security system with a camera so that you can keep an eye on the behavior of unknown guests. For many people, getting a dog is simply not an option. If that is the case for you, an alarm system is essential. Be sure to research optional alarm companies and discuss with them the fees, setup process, and expectations in detail.
Knowledge is Power
Not all criminals think and work in the same way, and burglars are an especially unique bunch. Knowing what makes them tick will help you take measures to keep you and your family safe. Generally, burglars prefer crimes of opportunity. They look for the path of least resistance, which means they look for homes that they can access with ease, and hopefully (for them) not get caught. Take for example, a locked home as opposed to an unlocked home. While many locks can be picked, a burglar will generally opt for the unlocked home, as the time required to pick a lock means an increased likelihood of getting caught, not to mention the added effort. Use this knowledge to your advantage: lock all possible entryways into your home including doors, windows, and garages.
Increased sound and visibility also serve to discourage burglars. They aim for secrecy, so a barking dog or a blaring alarm both make great deterrents. In the same way, homes that are more well-lit, and are not obscured by large swaths of trees or bushes are also less likely to become crime scenes.
Keep Tabs on Unknown Guests
You never know who could be a housekeeper or door-to-door salesman by day, and a burglar by night. Make sure to do a background check before hiring any contractors to do work in your property. Do not trust alarm companies that go door-to-door. Watch the behavior of any in-home employees that you have newly hired, and check on your valuables after they leave. It is best to have your valuables secured in a hard to reach area always, but if this is not possible, do so at least when having hired help into your home.
Keep Up with the Joneses
A fantastic way to keep your home safe from crime is to get to know who your neighbors are. When neighbors are at friendly, it creates a community of crime “watch-dogs.” This will be especially useful when you take your next vacation and must leave your home unattended for an extended period; friendly neighbors do not usually mind keeping an extra close eye on other people’s homes when they need to.
Property Maintenance
Making sure that your bushes are well trimmed will eliminate possible hiding spots that burglars may use to their advantage. A well-kept property will also show potential criminals that you are frequently home, and are not currently on vacation. Part of property maintenance is being careful about how you dispose of your trash. A frequent practice of burglars is to sort through the trash of a potential target. They look for the discarded packaging of expensive items and try to gauge what they can gain by breaking into your home. If you must put trash from expensive and larger items outside, cut it into small pieces (like you would with an old credit card) and make it inconspicuous.
After you have secured your home, you should feel that you are relatively safe from criminal activity, but do not let your guard down. Make sure to check on your implementation of these tips regularly. No home is completely safe from the actions of criminals, so make sure you have pictures of all your valuables and any of their serial numbers so that you can identify your property in case you are the victim of a crime. If you do get robbed, make sure to call the police immediately