Your house is your property, and keeping it secure, and your family safe should be a high priority, so you should be familiar with a primary method to prevent your house from becoming a target.
First things first – consider the mindset of someone who will want to enter your home illegally. Most burglars are potential opportunists who look for easy targets with a lower risk to themselves. Finding a way to reduce the possible chance that someone would want to illegally enter your property can be done in the following five easy steps:
Keep Your Doors & Windows Locked
Now, this may seem like common sense, but many people forget to lock doors and windows, and thus they provide an easy access point to potential burglars. In addition, according to the FBI, about 30% of home invasions in the United States are considered an illegal entry, which means that intruders could gain entry into the property without breaking in.
Usually, such home invasions occur through unlocked doors. Ideally, you should regularly check all the doors and windows to ensure that they are locked.
Regarding the lock system, use deadbolt locks at a minimum compared to the simple push-button locks. Perhaps, it would be a great idea to avail yourself of the 911 Locksmith Emergency Service and get your locks checked.
You might consider using a solid door security bar for an additional layer of protection. If someone tries to enter your door forcefully, they will find this an arduous task.
Besides, sliding glass windows and doors are also very vulnerable. Using a wooden dowel or any other solid object can help prevent the sliding windows and doors from being opened – should the lock be compromised.
Also, don’t forget to lock the door that goes out to the garage. Once someone gains entry into your garage, they can easily walk into the house if that peculiar door is unlocked.
If you have moved into a new house, you might want all locks changed. Also, place a lock on the circuit breaker outside the house, and make sure that all door hinges are on the inside doors and not outside.
Never leave keys under the doormats, flowerpots, and mailboxes.
Make Your House Bright at Night
If you were to look at things from a burglar’s perspective, you would find it easy to understand that whoever is planning to enter your house doesn’t want to be seen, which is why they prefer the darkness over the daylight.
We recommend having several lights on at night outside the house to make your home visible.
It is easy to forget to turn the lights on, so you can immensely benefit from automatic timers and bright lights that you can control from anywhere and perhaps even catch a potential burglar in their act.
Make Your Home Appear Livable
In other words, you must make your home appear as if someone is at home even when no one is. Most home invasions occur between 6 AM and 6 PM. Most times, a burglar attempting to access your home during the day will pose as a salesman to find out if someone is home.
Often, they will knock on the door, and if no one responds, they try to gain access through the door they just knocked on or other points of entry.
Get a Dog
You don’t necessarily need a sizeable attacking dog. But instead, a tiny barking dog will just do as fine. If the dog makes noise and barks, a potential burglar might think twice about attempting to break into your property.
Usually, a potential burglar is already nervous, and a dog can do the trick of scaring them away.
Be a Good Neighbor
Get in touch with your neighbors and allow them to learn about your day-to-day schedule. This way, they will be more than willing to keep an eye out for your property when you are not around and report a burglary.
Now, the first step to having good neighbors is to be a good neighbor yourself, so you should take the time to develop a great relationship with your neighbors and develop a strong network with them.
