You have spent an amazing holiday with your family, but as you enter to put the car back in the garage, you realize something is missing. The window of the house ajar but you are sure that you have closed it completely. You carefully open the door, only to realize that burglars have made off with your electronics, cash and jewellery. And all your happiness and glee has vanished!
So, what to do? Skip all holiday visits and stay at home?
No!
Burglaries are very common and are more worrying. But before you install a high-end security system to keep an eye on your home in your absence, have a walk around your home. Even a simple and affordable measure can deter the would-be deterrents from targeting your place. Have a look at them:
Locked and Locked!
While it’s obvious, make sure to lock every entrance of the house. Also, don’t forget to secure windows, garage door, floor deck and other possible entries. You should even keep the doors closed when inside. Why? Keeping doors locked when inside the house will keep nasty surprises, like having an unusual man in your room, at bay.
For vacations, inspect your home and lock absolute every window and every door. You can even seek help from a professional residential locksmith to keep an eye in your absence. Also, ladders and other tools can be an easy opportunity for the burglars to make way to the places that are hard to reach. So, lock garage or shed to safeguard everything.
Well-Lit And Trimmed Landscapes Add Safety:
Burglars and thefts enter dark areas as they will less likely to come in someone’s eyes. Also, shrubs and trees surrounding the home make a perfect place for burglars to run and hide quickly; so keep an eye on them too.
To fix this, keep your bushes and grass trimmed and your outers well-lit at night. Install a light sensor that will go off if it will sense someone around the property.
Fake The Presence Of Someone:
Empty houses become easy targets for the burglars. So give the appearance that someone is in the home, even there’s nobody. You can alternatively use a guardianship scheme like global guardians. This will provide a live in guardian to ensure your home is safe and sound. Use automatic timers for lights and other alarms. Don’t let newspapers and emails pile up in the mailbox; ask a neighbor to bring it for you. If there’s snow in the forecast arrange someone to shovel the property to make it look someone in the home. This will also prevent you from the claims if someone gets hurt or slipped on your sidewalks.
Hide Security Wires:
Modern security systems are build on wireless technology, however, if you have a traditional security system that has exposed wires, don’t forget to hide them. Exposed wires could be easily cut and deactivate, thereby causing the security system less efficient. So, make sure to protect all connected cables.
Maintain All Doors/ Windows:
Keep windows secure; make sure that your ground-level windows, window wells, near the tree windows or other climbable windows are tightly sealed when you are going out. Use blinds, put a dowel in the window track, cover grates and window wells, and make sure that locks are sturdy enough to open. Keep bolts hidden underneath the window to keep it out of reach from cracked windows.
Dogs Can Guard Your Home:
Burglars are more likely to move into the homes that stay quiet, making them enter the house without any disruption. But if you have dogs, you can protect your property and belongings. Dogs are a perfect deterrent, and burglars hate dogs. Since they instantly react to any unusual thing and are always in ninja mode, burglars don’t like them. However, if you don’t have a dog or you are travelling with it, fake ‘beware of dog’ sign to keep intruders at bay.
Keep Valuable Or Electronics Out Of Sight:
Is that shiny, flashy laptop visible from the window? Thieves love things that are visible and thus tempt them to break in, so keep them safe in your closet. Before leaving, have a walk to the perimeter of your home to see how many valuable things you can see by peeking in the windows.
Although it will be difficult to re-arrange everything to keep stuff out of sight, you can use curtains to hide things. You can also use blinds to keep valuable and important things hidden.
Know Your Neighbors:
Neighbors can keep an eye at your home when you’re away. They are more like extra physical eyes to note any suspicious activity at your home. Know your neighbors; interact with them, so that they will notify you if something happens behind your back.
Protecting your home from unwanted people is a lot easier than you think, just keep in mind the tips mentioned above and you are good to keep your space.