How to Make Your Home Burglar-Proof

Each year in the U.S. there are more than five million home burglaries and a surprising nine out of ten of these crimes are preventable!  You can cut your risk of being burglarized vastly by taking simple steps to make your home more difficult to enter and less enticing to would-be burglars.

Here are 10 mistakes that burglars WANT you to make—check this list to avoid making them:

1. Leave your doors unlocked.
2. Leave your windows unlocked.
3. Leave your tool shed unlocked.
4. Build a high fence/private yard. Private secluded yards allow burglars to operate in secrecy!
5. Don’t install outdoor lighting.
6. Don’t have a home security system.
7. Leave your keys in the car in the driveway/garage.
8. Use a webcam as “home surveillance system.” This will be no help when the thief is wearing a mask—and who is available to constantly check the constant feed and from where?
9. Don‘t bolt down your safes. There’s nothing keeping an able-bodied thief from just carrying your safe—and all its precious contents– away with him.
10. Trust in “hidden keys.” Your hiding places aren’t going to fool burglars for a minute—after all, they steal from strangers for a living!

THREE GREAT WEAPONS IN THE FIGHT TO PREVENT BURGLARIES: LIGHT, TIME AND NOISE

Light

• Mount exterior lights out of reach where burglars can’t easily unscrew bulbs.
• Purchase and install motion-sensitive lights, now available at relatively low prices.
• Use a variable light timer to activate lights inside your home.
• Trim trees and shrubs near doors and windows so burglars can’t hide in the shadows

Time

Make it time-consuming for a burglar to break into your home:

• Install deadbolt locks on all exterior doors.
• Install double-key locks in doors which contain glass.  This will keep a burglar from being able to open the door simply by breaking the glass and reaching through.  (Note: Be sure to keep the key in designated place, for escape in case of fire).
• Place additional locks on all windows and patio doors.

Noise

• Get a dog.  You don’t need a large attack dog; even a small dog creates a disturbance that burglars would prefer to avoid.
• Whenever possible, have someone care for your dogs in your home while you’re away, instead of boarding them.
• If you can afford it, install an alarm system that will alert neighbors of a burglar’s presence.  Most systems can even summon local police directly.  Don’t forget to check the Alarm Code.

Other tips to prevent break-ins:

• Think like a burglar.  “Case” your home the way a burglar would and look for easy ways to get in.
• Be sure valuables like electronic devices and artwork are not visible from the street.
• Be sure to lock up ladders and tools which could be used to break in.
• Work together with your neighbors.  Organize a Neighborhood Watch and let your neighbors know when you will be away for an extended period.
• While on vacation, have someone pick up your newspapers and mail, so that you don’t advertise your absence.
• Display your house number conspicuously and have it well illuminated.  This will help police and emergency personnel find your home quickly.

Just in Case…

Sometimes, all your efforts won’t stop a determined burglar.  It’s wise to take some precautions that will help you get your property back should a criminal successfully break into your home:

• Make a list of your belongings, being sure to keep receipts, and periodically update this list.
• Keep copies of your inventory list and receipts in a safe deposit box or with a friend.
• You may choose to photograph and/or videotape your possessions to create a record of what you own.
• Engrave your valuables with an identification or mark to deter burglary and to prove ownership should the article be stolen and recovered by the police.
• Be sure you have the right insurance coverage.  You may need to purchase additional coverage to protect special items like expensive jewelry or rare antiques.
• If you don’t own your home, consider buying a renter’s policy.  Your landlord will generally not be responsible for your possessions.

Follow simple burglar-proofing precautions consistently for your safety and peace of mind.

Keeping Intruders at Bay While You’re On Vacation

Each year, there are more than 2.15 million burglaries with the majority of home invasions occurring in the peak vacation months of July and August. Going on vacation can be one of the most relaxing things in the world, but before you depart, here are a few  ideas to help keep intruders at bay while you’re on vacation.

Keep Your Home Well Lit – Place light timers inside your house to light up your house when it is dark out. Burglars tend to not flock to homes that are well lit and where they will be visible.

Trustworthy Neighbor- Ask a trustworthy neighbor or friend to keep an eye on your house while you’re away. Be sure to tell them if you are expecting any visitors over the course of your trip so that they can be aware.

Stop Delivery of Your Newspapers or Mail – Either put a hold on your mail and newspaper service, or have a neighbor collect them for you daily. A build up of mail or newspapers is a good indicator to burglars that you are on vacation. Another way to hide your mail is by getting a larger sized locked mailbox. This will ensure that your mail is not visible intruders.

Examine Your House Before You Leave- Make a checklist of all possible entrance paths for intruders and ensure that they are well locked and secured.

Hide All Valuables – Be sure to hide all of your valuables so that they are not visible from the windows. This way, intruders won’t have more of a reason to break in.

Security System – Homes without a monitored security alarm system are three times more likely to be burglarized or robbed than those with a monitored home security system. Nightwatch Protection is now offering a FREE home security system that will help keep your home protected even when you’re not on vacation.

Window Decals – Security system decals located on your front door is a great way to help scare off burglars.

Cameras – Weather it is a real camera, or a fake camera, if intruders think they will get caught, they will be less likely to break in.

Home Telephone – Don’t ever leave a voice mail message saying “We’re not home right now” or “We’re on vacation and won’t be back for a week.” This assures intruders that you won’t be home. Also, turn the ringer down on your house phone, or change it to 1 ring. If they can hear that no one is answering the phone, they will assume you are not home.

By following these helpful hints, you are on your way to a better protected home. These tips will help keep your stress levels down, so that you can fully enjoy your vacation.

Spring Cleaning Your Way to a Safer Home

As the spring season finally starts to warm up, many homeowners begin their spring cleaning maintenance around the yard. This spring, consider adjusting your property’s landscaping in order to better protect it from a break-in. Certain landscaping tricks can prevent lingering burglars from seeing inside your home, making it harder for them to invade.

Landscaping Tips:

-Incorporate outdoor lighting in your landscaping plan! This is the single most effective way to use your yard to safeguard your home from intruders. If your front yard has a path to the front door place ground-level lighting to make your home more illuminated at night and easier to see intruders.

-Plant shrubbery and bushes under all first floor windows in order to create privacy but also make it harder for someone to climb through a low window. Using thorny and sharp bushes such as roses is especially effective!

-Install a fence around your property- this includes using hedges and shrubbery.

-Consider eliminating any landscaped areas that could serve as a dark hiding place in your yard.

-Look at your home from its street view- whatever you can see inside your home a burglar can see too!

-Trim tall trees growing along the side of your house- these can act as ladders and hiding places.

-Keep the lawn mowed- an unkempt yard with tall grass signifies to a burglar that a homeowner is either on vacation or is frequently away from the house.

-Never leave ladders and other common landscaping tools out in the open! These can be used to easily climb in through an open window in your home.