Whether you have a mansion in the fancy part of town or live in a five-story walk up, you are at risk of having your home broken into. Unfortunately, there is no place on earth that is immune. The only thing you can do is try to make your home a less desirable target than the guy next door. Here are some helpful tips to keep yourself and your home out of harm’s way.
Keep High Value Items Out of View
You don’t have to give up your expensive Red Sox jersey collection to deter criminals—but you do have to keep them out of sight. Take extra special care to place the most valuable items in your home somewhere other than on display in your front window. If you keep these high tickets items in plain view, you may as well place a sign on your lawn that says “Expensive Things Inside – Help Yourself”.
Choose Your Doors Wisely
If you own your home and have a say as to the types of doors you have at entry/exit points, try not to let your aesthetic eye do all the picking. Choose doors that are solid wood or metal without decorative glass panes. Doors with glass panes near the door knobs or locking mechanisms are an easy target for theft. It’s all too simply to break the glass and reach around the inside to let yourself in.
Landscaping Tips
Don’t make it easy on the neighborhood burglar. Although shrubbery around your home is very appealing, you’re essentially providing a privacy screen for someone looking to sneak in undetected. Avoid large plants near your doors and windows. You’ll make your home that much more difficult to get into.
Exterior Lighting
Porch lights are great but the best lighting source to help keep the bad guys out of your yard are motion sensor spotlights. Nothing quite screams “there’s someone lurking around my property” quite like the bright, fluorescent glow of a flood light. Make your home as secure as you can – these lights are a small investment compared to the added security you’ll receive.
Personal Safe
If you have precious items that you don’t want stolen, lock it up. Personal safes come in many shapes and sizes to protect your most valuable possessions. We recommend a fireproof safe for your most important papers and items. Read this post for more information on how to choose a safe for your home.
Change the Locks
If you own your home or are allowed to change the locks to your apartment, it’s a good idea to change the locks when you move in. The previous owner or tenant might have given out extra keys to family and friends so it’s best to start fresh with new locks. Changing the locks on all exterior doors is a quick and inexpensive way to protect your home.
Don’t Do Other People’s Advertising
You may think that having a sticker on your window that says “Protected by ADT” but you could be providing important clues to the tech savvy criminal. Many times, the person breaking into your home isn’t just a drifter who happened to walk by your place. They prepare themselves and part of that preparation includes boning up the latest home security systems. Stating the type of security system you’re armed with will help the burglar that’s done their homework.
You can’t completely protect your home from an intruder but these steps can help you keep your home more safe and secure.
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