A burglary takes place once every 18 seconds or so in the United States. That adds up to around 200 burglaries an hour, 4,800 per day, 33,600 a week and an astonishing 1,747,200 a year. Many of us will experience at least one break in during our lifetimes, a horrible experience which can have long-lasting effects for a multitude of reasons.
That is why the security of your home should be a priority. If you want to avoid being one of the million and a half plus people who have their properties broken into each year, then consider some of these steps that you can take to make your home more secure.
Secure your doors
You might think that criminals must be clever in order to gain access to your home, but 34 percent of burglars enter a property through the front door. That should get you thinking – just how secure are the doors of your home? Inspect them to ensure that they are strong, the hinges are protected and that nobody could reach through a mail slot and unlock the door. You can install a deadbolt, a strike plate or upgrade to smart locks for increased security.
Always lock your windows
When you’ve had your windows open full blast on a hot summer’s day, it can be easy to forget to lock them. You pull them shut before going to bed but fail to lock them properly, leaving quite literally an open window for a burglar to exploit. Always be sure to secure your windows properly – and if you aren’t happy with the latches they currently have, you can beef up security with locks or key operated levers.
Prevent access to the backyard
With your backyard being out of sight of potentially prying eyes wandering up and down the street outside your front door, it makes the garden a popular point of entry for burglars. You should, therefore, do everything you can to prevent them from being able to access your yard. Big, strong borders can help. Nobody wants to get stuck in a prickly bush, brick walls can be tough to scale or if you don’t want to turn your backyard into a version of Fort Knox, consider extensive property fencing Connecticut from a company such as Red Fox Fence.
Light up your home
Burglars hate being in the spotlight which means that a well-lit home can prove to be a huge deterrent to criminals. There are plenty of different types of outdoor security lighting on the market. You can use LED lights to illuminate your pathways or solar powered lights to brighten up your front and back yards. If you don’t want to have your home illuminated on quite such a regular basis, then consider motion sensor lights. These only kick into life once somebody in the vicinity triggers them by moving, which is sure to be off-putting to any burglars who are trying to break in.
Don’t leave tools available that could be used to break in
Often people will lock their doors and windows, but then leave easy access to a whole host of tools that could assist a burglar with a break in. Don’t leave ladders lying around in your backyard which a cheeky criminal could then use to access your house. You should always make sure your shed is locked as well. Not only could a criminal steal expensive tools from it, but they could also use your own tools to break into your home. You can do your best to make it as hard as possible for a potential burglar to break in by not giving them easy access to any equipment that could help them complete the job.
Hide your valuables from view
While the temptation for a burglar to break into your home might have been there from the start, it will only be increased if they see something on show that they like the look of. Leaving jewellery, money, laptops and smartphones lying around in plain view of anyone looking into the property can encourage a break-in, so always make sure those items are hidden. If possible, you should also try and keep large electrical goods such as televisions and desktop computers out of sight. If the burglar thinks the house isn’t a worthwhile target, they may not break into it in the first place.
Don’t talk about trips on social media
As we live more and more of our lives on social media, they become less private. If you’ve broadcast all over Facebook or Instagram that you’re heading off on a dream two week holiday to the Bahamas, then a potential burglar will know there is every chance your house is going to be empty for a fortnight. Keep any trips away from home as private information so that nobody unsavoury can take advantage of it.