It’s a shame that we have to think about the possibility of our homes being invaded by thieves at all, but although it is not as common as the media would have us believe, burglaries are something that every homeowner should think about because they can and do happen, even in the best neighborhoods.
If you want to do all you can to ensure that your home is not one that is targeted and that it is as secure from the threat of thieves as possible, here are a few key things that you should do:
Install a security system
It’s an obvious point, but if you do not want your home to be the target of thieves, then having a visible deterrent in the form of the best security system you can afford, is probably the number one thing to do.
Thieves are opportunistic more often than not, so if they see that you have a great security system in place, chances are they will not risk it and they will, instead look to find another property that does not have cameras or an alarm of anything of that nature on display because it will make life easier for them.
Change the locks when you move in
When you move into a new home, one of the first things you should think about doing is calling the best locksmith you can find to come and change the locks. Although it is unlikely that the previous homeowners would keep a key so they can gain entry and steal your stuff, it is not unheard of for such things to happen, and it will help you and your family to feel a lot safer and secure if you know this is not a problem by having the locks changes as soon as possible.
Double or triple-lock your home
In a similar vein, burglars will typically look at the locks on a door to determine whether it is worth their time trying to get inside. If a door has two or more locks, they know that it is going to take alt more effort to gain entry than it would a home with one lock, so again, they are very much more likely to try elsewhere.
Not only that, but if you have two or three locks, including a deadbolt, on each exterior door, then even if thieves do try to gain entry, at the very least, you will be making it much harder for them to do so, and much more likely that you or someone else will be able to raise the alarm and call the cops before they get inside and get their hands on your stuff or worse.
And lock the doors
Okay, so not only should you take the time to ensure you have an ample number of locks on the door, but you need to ensure you are actually using them all of the time! Although multiple locks on a door can act as a great deterrent, if a burglar does try to gain entry, you do not want them to be able to do so because you have not bothered to actually close all of the locks you have fitted.
Some people will lock the doors only when they are out, but this leaves not only their possessions, but themselves and their families in danger should someone gain entry. It is so important that, no matter what, you lock the doors.
Install window treatments
You might not think that window treatments like curtains and blinds are of much use in protecting, your home from thieves, but you would be wrong. You see, if you use window treatments to obscure what is inside your home, then thieves cannot see that you have an expensive new television or tons of Christmas gifts piled up for the holidays, so opportunist thieves will be much less tempted to try and get inside and take your stuff. It’s a simple tactic, but one that can work surprisingly well, and which will cost you very little, so there is no reason not to give it a go.
Stop hiding keys
So many of us hide spare keys to our homes under plant pots or in fake rocks that we leave in the garden, and we think that we will not get burgled! The thing is, everyone knows that it is common to hide a house key in the eaves or under a plant or whatever, so many thieves will look for a key before attempting to break in, and if they find one, then it is a lot less likely that they will end up getting caught, so it’s a really bad idea to just leave a spare key on the grounds of your property. Leave a spare with a nearby family member or trusted friend if you are the kind of person who often locks yourself out.
Consider getting a guard dog
Okay, so there is a major caveat with this one; you should not even think about getting a dog unless you are open to the idea of bringing a pet into your family and you are willing to take good care of it, but if you feel like you could give a loving home to a pet, then getting yourself a big dog is a great way to help protect your home from thieves because even just the sound of a dog barking can cause burglars to think that your home is likely to be too much trouble to target, and, well, if they catch a glimpse of a big scary-looking dog, no matter how lovely he actually is, they will definitely not be targeting your place.
Set up a neighborhood watch
Setting up a neighborhood watch scheme might sound like a lot of work, but really, all you need is a few neighbors who are willing to take the responsibility, some stickers to put up warning burglars and a few security cameras to help you all look out for each other. Neighborhood watch schemes may not be perfect at stopping burglars from targeting your home, but they are likely to be far warier about doing so knowing that the local neighbors are very vigilant, and there are likely to be eyes on anyone who is not usually in the area or who may be acting suspiciously for one reason or another.
If you do not have time or no one is interested in setting up a neighborhood, watch, then sometimes simply having neighborhood watch stickers printed and placed around the neighborhood can make it less likely to become a target of thieves so it is definitely worth thinking about in some capacity.
Stop posting on social media
Okay, so there is no reason why you should not enjoy social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, but if you want to protect your home from thieves, one thing you should absolutely not do is post about where you are going or what you are doing live.
If, for example, you let all of your social media buddies know you are going on vacation from the 1st of November until the 15th of November, then any would-be thieved will know that your home is likely to be empty during that time and they may well be bold enough to strike, or if you post about the whole family going out for dinner this evening, the same thing could happen.
We all like to think that the people we connect with on social media are our friends, and good people, but you just never know who is watching or what people are really like, so it is better to save those vacation posts until you are safely back home.
Take pictures of everything
It is also a really good idea to take pictures of everything in every room of your home. This is good insurance should everything else fail and a burglar gets into your home and take stuff. You will be able to use the pictures as evidence when you make a claim in your home insurance, although keeping the receipts of everything you buy for your home is probably even more important for this as it will prove to the insurance company that you really did buy the things you are claiming for and how much they cost you too, which will make life easier for all involved.
Oh, and if you have calendars where you mark important events, make sure they are not facing any doors or windows as they too could be seen by the wrong people and used against you too.
As you can see, there is a long list of things you can do to protect your home from the threat of burglaries, and putting as many of them into action as you can, as soon as you can, will definitely help to protect you and your family, as well as your stuff, from the threat of break-ins and thefts from your home.
