Would you be surprised to learn that there are nearly 8 million property crimes reported in the United States every year?
A significant percentage of those are burglaries. Those whose homes have been burgled know that it’s a traumatic experience. In addition to losing valuable items, most victims of this crime also report feeling violated, unsettled, and fearful that the burglar will return.
Fortunately, there are plenty of effective home safety tips and tricks that you can use to secure your house, your belongings, and your family. Let’s find out more!
1. Shore Up Your Doors
In the movies, cat burglars shimmy into windows and rappel from the roof to gain entry to a building. In reality, however, plenty of burglars enter just like everyone else: through the front door. To prevent giving them easy access, ensure that your doors have strong frames, protected hinges, deadbolt locks, and strike plates.
2. Work On Your Windows, Too
Windows can be even more vulnerable to break-ins than doors. Ineffective locks, screens that can be slashed with a penknife, and easy-to-break glass are all boons to burglars. Stymie them by putting up the best security screens and upgrading the locks.
While this is most important on the first floor, seal up any second-floor windows that could be accessed by a porch roof, gutter, or nearby tree. While many thieves choose the path of least resistance, others are sneakier, especially if they know you have a big-ticket item or keep quantities of cash on hand.
3. Get Smart About Safety
First, there were smartphones. Nowadays it seems like everything is “smart,” including your home itself. Consider installing a video doorbell system and/or security cameras positioned to view all entrances of the home. Having the ability to lock and unlock your doors and turn lights on and off is one more layer of protection.
In the event that someone does breach your security system, the cameras connected to your smart home system will help police in their efforts to catch burglars.
4. If You Have to Hide a Key
Having a spare house key that’s easy to find can be incredibly convenient, but don’t stick your spare in any of the usual places. That rules out underneath the doormat, in flower pots, and in mailboxes. Instead, hide your key in a birdhouse, a fake drain cap or faucet cap, or behind a particular brick.
It’s also wise to rotate the hiding spot, too. On the off chance that a would-be criminal spots you retrieving a hidden key, you can proactively throw him off the scent by finding new places to stash your spare key.
5. Make Your Neighbors’ Acquaintance
Our last tip is decidedly old-school! You don’t have to be BFFs with the people next door, but establishing a friendly relationship can definitely make a difference. Let them know when you’ll be out of town, and ask them to keep an eye on things. Since they’re likely familiar with your regular visitors, they can also help spot people who don’t belong on your property.
Helpful Home Safety Tips Come In Handy
It doesn’t take a lot of effort or money to take some burglar-deterring steps. Just makes sure all the entry points are locked up tight, and consider going high-tech with your security.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this article about keeping your home and possessions safe and secure by following some simple home safety tips. If you did, feel free to share it on your social media! Or leave a comment below to start a conversation.
