Your home is likely your biggest investment, and it houses all your personal belongings as well. Unfortunately, the chances are also good that your home isn’t as secure as it could be. This puts all of your hard-earned assets at risk of theft. So, how do you protect your home against break-ins? These six tips will help you learn how to secure your home, and gain peace of mind.
1. Keep valuables out of sight
This probably goes without saying, but burglars are typically attracted to valuables, such as electronics, jewelry, and stashes of cash. To deter their attention, keep your valuables out of sight. This means either keeping your blinds closed, or placing valuables out of view from windows. You should also be careful not to throw out boxes from valuable items in plain view, as this simply acts as an advertisement for burglars to check out your new gear. Instead, break down boxes and keep them inside until your trash pickup day.
2. Mount surveillance cameras
Surveillance cameras – even if they’re not hooked up – can act as a deterrent to burglars. Thieves don’t want to risk getting caught on camera. This is why a strategically mounted surveillance system can make them turn right in their tracks. You can install cameras inside or outside – just be sure to place them in areas burglars would attempt their break-ins, such as entrances into the home, near basement windows, and even in spots where trees come close to your windows for easy accessibility. Some surveillance cameras work on motion-sensing technology, whereas others need to be hooked up to a computer system that constantly records all activity outside. And remember, event if the cameras don’t deter the thief, they will, at the very least, act as proof of any break-in attempts for police and insurance purposes.
3. Lock doors and windows
After becoming familiar with the neighborhood and the surrounding town, many homeowners begin to feel comfortable leaving their doors and windows unlocked. Unfortunately, not all your friendly neighbors may be honest. Furthermore, a burglar may not even live in the city they’re casing. That’s why it’s important to lock all possible entrances into your home. This includes not only the obvious front and back doors, but also things like second- and third-story windows, doggy doors, and even garage doors.
4. Install deadbolts
Perhaps even more unfortunately, taking the steps to lock all your doors and windows may not be enough of a deterrent. A motivated burglar may have the skills to pick a simple lock. So, to thoroughly protect your home, you should install deadbolts on your main doors. Dead bolts are much harder to unlock without a key. Furthermore, you could also install a smart lock, which can only be opened with a certain code, fingerprint, or other unique bio identifier.
5. Be selective when sharing your key
It’s imperative to limit those you trust to have a key. A well-meaning neighbor may accidentally leave your key sitting on a countertop – vulnerable for someone passing by to swipe or copy the key. If you’re going out of town, consider only giving your key to one, extremely responsible individual (perhaps a family member or very close friend), and request that the key be held secure unless there’s a problem and they absolutely must use it.
If you own pets and you’re going out of town, eliminate the need for others to enter your home by boarding the pet or allowing them to stay at a friend or relative’s house instead. This limits people coming in and out of your home, and cuts back on the risk that someone may forget to lock the door behind them.
6. Set lights on timers
Speaking of going out of town, an unoccupied house is a burglar’s dream. This tip is perhaps the most important when trying to figure out how to secure your home. Setting a few of your electronics on timers while you’re out of town can serve as an indication that your home is occupied – and thus, not an easy target for break-ins. You may also opt to invest in a higher end smart home device that would allow you to control your lights, tv, and other fixtures from anywhere on the planet, just by signing on to an app on your phone.
These six small actions can certainly make a world of difference if you want to protect your home. Do you have other tips regarding how to secure your home? Share them in the comments below!
