10 Easy Ways to Protect Your Home

According to the FBI, a robbery of someone’s home occurs every 15.4 seconds in America. With statistics like that, it’s quite understandable for people to want to invest in home security, especially when they are away from home for a long time. Most burglaries take place during the day, usually when the home owners are at work or on vacation.

But, with a few simple modifications to your home, and some easy changes in your habits, you can easily develop home security practices that will protect your home. The longer it takes a criminal to try and break into your house, the more likely it is that he or she will abandon the attempt to try and find an easier target.

1.

Keep valuables out of sight – Keeping your valuables out of sight is an excellent home security habit. They would rather spend their time on houses where they know they can get something worth stealing, so put jewelry away in boxes within closets, and close the blinds or curtains in rooms with televisions and computers.
2.

Locks – To keep a burglar from having easy access to your home, you should have good, high quality locks on all doors with outside access. Deadbolts should be at least an inch long, and a knob with a heavy-duty knob-in-lock set with a dead-latch mechanism. Changing the locks is also a good home security measure.
3.

Lights – Motion detecting lights are an excellent way to have home security at night. Not only is light the enemy of burglars, but it also startles them to the point that some may run away. Motion sensor lights may also alert you to the presence of someone outside your home if you are inside.
4.

Windows – Keep your windows shut and locked all the time when you’re not at home, even during the summer. Criminals looking to break into a house are usually looking for unlocked doors and windows, or open doors and windows, which make breaking in incredibly simple and poor home security.
5.

Secondary devices – A good way to keep your home secure is to add secondary devices to the locked windows and doors of your home. An extra piece of wood that keeps sliding doors extra secure is one kind of secondary device. Special locks that only allow windows to open part of the way is another device for home security. These devices are extra assurance that a burglar will have a harder time getting in, and will probably give up and go somewhere else.
6.

Signs – Even if you don’t have a dog, putting up a “Beware of dog” sign in a window is an extremely effective way of keeping intruders away. While an intruder may be prepared to avoid or harm a dog he or she can see, he or she will hesitate to come face to face with what could be a Chihuahua or a German Shepherd.
7.

Be a good neighbor – Being a good neighbor can help your home security immensely. If you are friendly and build trust with the people around you, they will watch out for your home while you are away, and will call the police if they see anything suspicious.
8.

Don’t hide keys – If you usually hide a house key outside your front door, stop doing it immediately. The first things burglars will do if they know someone isn’t home is search door frames, beneath flower pots, rocks, and welcome mats, and look for fake stones that have keys inside. If you’ve built a good rapport with your neighbors, give them a spare key for home security if you’re afraid you’ll lock yourself out.
9.

Alarm systems – Alarm systems are an excellent part of home security. Not only do they alert the authorities in cases of emergency, but they also deter burglars simply because of a window sticker or yard sign. Burglars rarely break into homes protected with alarm systems, as they are afraid of still being in the house when the police respond.
10.

House sitters – If you’re going on vacation, the best home security option is to find a house sitter for the duration of your trip. While it is okay to just stop the mail and any deliveries, a clever burglar can watch your home for several days before making his or her move, and notice if the mail carrier is skipping your home. A house sitter can collect the mail, watch for any signs of suspicious people around, and care for any pets you may have, all while ensuring a little more home security.

With the right mindset, you can guarantee your peace of mind and home security while at work or on vacation. Following some of these tips will not only help you protect yourself and your possessions, but will make others more aware of what they can do for their own homes as well. An entire neighborhood of hard to rob homes is the ultimate home security.