How to Make Your Home Secure – Tips for Preventing a Burglary
Although the thought of a thief breaking into your home is scary, home owners can get piece of mind by taking a number of steps to make their home secure. Home invasion is one of the most preventable types of crimes and owners can protect their homes by using a variety of tips for preventing a burglary. This includes ways to make your home look occupied at all times and other common sense methods for protection.
In order to make your home secure, you should try to fool potential thieves by making them think your house is always occupied. This can include using automatic timers on your lights or a radio so that burglars think you are home, but lowering the volume of your phone and answering machine so it cannot be heard from outside the house. Park your car in the garage with the door closed and windows covered so thieves cannot tell when you are away.
When you are going to be away for an extended period of time, there are additional tips for preventing a burglary that can make your home secure. Put a hold on your mail and newspaper subscription or ask your neighbour to pick these items up while you are away. Also, find someone to mow your grass or shovel your snow. Blinds and curtains can also be put on timers so it looks as though the house is occupied. Make sure you tell a trusted neighbour when you will be out of town so they can help watch over your property. You can also tell the local police to keep an eye on your home.
Other common sense tips for preventing a burglary include locking all doors and windows when you are away and using a peep-hole on your front door. You should not hide spare keys in obvious locations, such as under the front mat, and you should not provide keys to service people or anyone else you do not know. If you move into a new home, change all of the locks. Also, do not leave money, jewellery or other valuables in direct view from a window. Instead, keep these items in a home safe that is locked and bolted to the floor. Avoid telling anyone else about these valuable items. Finally, if you have children, teach them not to talk to strangers about their home, any vacation plans or the schedule of their family.