Unfortunately, there are people out there that don’t care how long it took you to obtain your possessions or how many hours you had to work to get everything you want because they are willing to take it from you in a heartbeat.
Worse yet, there is a whole other group of people that don’t care if you’re there when they go to get it, potentially putting you and your family in harm’s way.
While you can’t live in a bubble and protect yourself from all of the wrong-doings that happen in the world, there are things that you can do to lessen the likelihood that they’ll happen to you while in the comfort of your own home.
Outside Your Home
Here are 10 ways to increase the safety and protection of your residence from someone who has no right to anything in it – outside your home.
#1 – Keep the yard picked up
If you have a lot of items lying around in your yard, you may be giving potential burglars the tools they need to gain access to your home.
For instance, if you’re painting the outside of your home and leave a ladder propped up against it overnight, it would be easy for someone to just move it to a window.
Yes, it is a pain to put things away if you know that you’re going to use them the next day, but it is much more painful to deal with someone who makes entry to your home and either steals your things or hurts your family.
#2 – Beware the garage door opener in your vehicle
Although it is nice to have the garage door opener handy in your vehicle, it also means that anyone who can gain entry to your car also has access to your house.
If you do have a clicker to automatically open the garage door, don’t keep it in plain view. That way, you won’t tempt someone with bad intentions.
#3 – Keep your shrubs trimmed
Homes that are surrounded by overgrown bushes are heaven to someone looking to break in because they offer a great deal of concealment.
It’s easy to hide in them and stay out of the sight of nosy neighbors or passing police. Therefore, you’re going to want to keep your shrubs trimmed so that no one can use them as a blanket in the darkness.
#4 – Plant thorny bushes below your windows
If a burglar wants to access your home via a window, one thing that could thwart his or her plan is a thorny bush. Plant rose bushes or similar scratchy plants below your windows to keep their access restricted (or at least very painful).
#5 – Put up motion lights
One of the best things you can do to keep intruders out of your yard is to put up motion lights. It will scare most people off if they trigger them to go on, and it may wake you up and alert you that someone is near your residence.
#6 – Set out a dog dish
Even if you don’t have a dog, someone who wants to rob you doesn’t necessarily know that.
So, you may want to get a big, chewed on dog dish and set it on the porch. It at least gives the impression that you have a huge dog inside that will give a burglar a run for his or her money.
#7 – Have your lawn and driveway tended to if you’re going to be away
Someone who is intent on robbing a house knows that if the homeowners are away, it’s an easy target. Therefore, if you’re going to be on vacation make sure the outside of your home doesn’t reflect that.
Have someone keep the yard mowed or if it is snowy, ask someone to plow the drive.
#8 – Get a front door with a peep hole
Most people know never to open a door for someone that they don’t know and weren’t expecting. Well, the only way you’re going to know for sure who is on the other side of it is to have a door with a peep hole in it.
That way you don’t have to wonder when it is safe and when you should be on alert.
#9 – Set up fake cameras
You don’t even have to hook outdoor cameras up because most burglars won’t stick around long enough to figure out if it’s the real deal or not.
You can buy them pretty inexpensively and put them over your main doorway to at least make someone who intends on robbing you think twice.
#10 – Don’t put your name on your mailbox
The less other people know about you, the better. So, you’re in a much safer place if you have nothing on your mailbox or home that reflects your name or any other identifying information.
Inside Your Home
Here are 10 more ways to make your home safer – inside your home.
#1 – Learn how to navigate your home in the dark
Some burglaries do happen in the middle of the night, so the more you are able to navigate your residence in the dark, the greater your advantage.
Remember, you know the layout but the intruder likely will not which means that you have the upper hand in the situation.
#2 – Keep your accessible doors and windows locked
You should keep your first floor doors and windows closed and locked whenever possible. And, if they’re sliders, use wooden rods in the tracks so no one can open them easily.
Also, if you have an area on a higher level of your home that is accessible by deck or balcony, you’ll want to keep those windows and doors locked too.
#3 – Have a plan (and practice it)
Much like you should practice for fires or other emergencies, you should also have a plan in place for potential middle of the night break-ins. You don’t want to be in the midst of the crisis trying to figure out how to keep you and your family safe as it may be too late at that point.
Set up a plan and practice it so everyone knows what to do.
#4 – Don’t leave valuables in the open
If no one knows what you have, then they’re less likely to want to come in and get it. Keep your valuable items put away and you’ll be in a better position to keep them.
(Also, if you buy something like a big screen TV, don’t just set the box out for the garbage because it will be noticed. Break it down and put it in a recycling bin.)
#5 – Keep a safety kit in your bedroom
Home invasions have a high likelihood of occurring when you’re sleeping. Therefore, you’re going to want to have certain items available right in your bedroom.
This includes a cell phone to call police, flashlight with batteries, a house key in case you have to throw it down to police when they respond, and night clothes if you tend to sleep in the nude.
It’s also not a bad idea to put all your personal information down on paper because it’s easy to forget it in the moment of a crisis.
#6 – Put your important papers in hard to find locations
Remember that if you are putting important documents in a location because it is easy for you to remember, it is also likely easy to be found by an intruder. Some of these places include top shelves in closets and dresser drawers.
Think out of the box and put your important items in inconspicuous places so that at least if you do get burglarized, they may not be able to find your personal information.
#7 – Get sensors for windows and doors
Alarm systems can be costly, but you can find sensors that go on windows and doors rather inexpensively. They don’t alert any sort of company when you’re being broken into, but they will hopefully scare off an intruder with their piercing sound (or at least alert you to their presence).
#8 – Use timers for your lights if you’re going to be away
When you’re not going to be home for a few days, the last thing you want is for your home to look empty and abandoned. But, if you put your lights on a timer so they turn on and off at different hours, no one will be the wiser.
#9 – Pull your blinds
Don’t let anyone who comes to your front porch see the layout of your home or what you have in it.
That doesn’t mean that you always have to keep your curtains pulled and live like a hermit, but be selective about when you open them during the day and always keep them closed at night when your lights illuminate everything.
#10 – Purchase a safe that isn’t easily moved
It is going to do you no good if you keep all of your worldly possessions in a safe that can easily be carried out of the house. Actually, you will have made their job easier as everything will be in one spot for them. If you’re going to go through the trouble to get a safe, either purchase one that is so heavy it can’t be moved or bolt it to the floor.
You can’t stop every burglar out to get what isn’t theirs, but you can reduce the likelihood that you’ll be their victim. Protect yourself, your family and your belongings. They’re yours and you want to keep them that way.
Add Comment