Whether you’re planning a trip away from your home or not, it’s never a bad idea to burglar-proof your home. Namely, burglars usually rely on you thinking that you won’t ever become a target. Because of this, you should feel even more determined to take all the recommended precautionary steps. Just imagine how safe you will feel if you take the necessary steps to protect your home while you’re away. If you seriously consider the following suggestions, you will be free to leave all your worries behind you!
How can you burglar-proof your home?
Make sure you secure the doors on your patio
Patio doors, especially if they’re sliding, are often the easiest break-in target for burglars. This is because the locks on these doors are usually not the greatest quality and tend to be pretty flimsy. However, there are two easy options for making your sliding patio doors more secure.
- installing a lock behind the sliding patio door – this prevents the door from being opened with force,
- cutting a broom to fit in the door track – this stops the doors from being too easy to open.
Also, it would be smart to install a detector for glass breakages near the doors. This will scare off potential burglars who try to simply break through the glass doors.
Don’t let complete strangers into your home
This one may seem too obvious, but it really is important. You should never, under any circumstances, allow complete strangers into your home. Specifically, Craigslist has become more popular amongst burglars nowadays. Namely, this is the way they scope out potential targets. Although it seems tempting to earn some extra money by selling your old stuff, make sure you do it smartly. If you’re using Craigslist for selling your stuff, make sure you emphasize to only meet in public locations. Although it may take more work to transfer everything to the meeting location, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Also, only meet the buyers in broad daylight and never in the parking lots behind restaurants or big stores.
However, if someone demands they have to come to your home for the items, here is what you should do. Firstly, report them directly on the site. Then, file a vandalism insurance claim. This will keep you safe from potential threats since you don’t really know who you’re dealing with.
Add another lock on your front door and use it regularly
Usually, people firstly focus on aesthetics rather than on safety. This is because nobody thinks that they will become a target of burglars. However, it’s really important to burglar-proof your home. One of the most basic ways of doing this is by adding another lock to your front door.
In most cases, the deadbolt with a knob people usually have on their front door is in no way enough. Therefore, kick it up a notch by installing a keyless padlock with a numerical password. These are an amazing option for keeping your home safe from a potential threat. Also, make sure you use the padlock even when you’re running a quick errand. Along with this, make sure you research a public insurance adjuster South Florida. Doing this will save you from a lot of trouble and stress in case of an unfortunate event.
Say NO to all strangers
One of the most common tactics burglars use to find out if you’re home is to pose as sales/delivery people. Namely, they take the head-on approach and directly ring your doorbell to see what they will be dealing with. Once they figure out who is home and when they will make their move.
If you want to prevent this from happening, there is a simple way to burglar-proof your home. Specifically, hang a NO SOLICITING sign on your door and install a peephole. In this way, you’ll be able to see who is ringing your doorbell. In case it isn’t someone you’re expecting, don’t even respond, let alone open the door.
Never show off your home to anyone
Showing off your belongings to anyone puts you at risk of a burglar overhearing you. This makes you and your home easy targets since they’ll know what you have for them to steal. Because of this, make sure you place all flashy items out of sight from windows. Specifically, big screen TVs, computers, and similar electronic gadgets should never be in view of a window. However, you can also use curtains which aren’t see-through to protect your belongings from view. Keep in mind that your insurance claim can be rejected. This may occur if you didn’t take the necessary steps of prevention. Therefore, try to be as careful as possible.
Only update your social media profiles after your vacation
Although it may seem tempting to brag about your lavish vacation days, wait until you come home. If you share images and posts while you’re away from home, someone with bad intentions may see them. Therefore, the best option is to simply wait to come home before you start posting on your social media.
Trim your landscaping regularly
If you let your landscaping overgrow, you block your view of what’s happening outside. Because of this, you should regularly trim your hedges so you have a clear view of the streets. However, don’t cut them too short. Hedges and other landscaping make it more difficult for burglars to approach your windows and doors.
Get motion detecting lights
Using motion-activated lights is one of the best ways to scare off potential burglars and to burglar-proof your home. Namely, a sudden and unexpected light will scare off even the bravest of burglars. This is just one of the reasons why you should consider installing a home security system. Not only will you feel less worried, but your house will also be better protected.
Install an alarm system
Although an alarm system doesn’t necessarily mean the police will catch the culprit, it will definitely scare them off. In fact, the main strength of alarm systems is deterrence and scaring burglars away from the scene of the crime. Just be sure to place your alarm keypad in a spot hard to spot.
Get to know the people in your neighborhood
Becoming close with your neighbors is really important. Namely, you will know who lives close to you and who you can rely on. If you’re lucky to have cautious neighbors, they will call you as soon as they spot something suspicious. Therefore, don’t be shy and make some new friends. They may end up being the best way to burglar-proof your home!
