There’s no such thing as a totally secure home. If the prize is big enough, even minefields, electric fences and armed guards won’t deter criminal masterminds.
But that doesn’t mean you have to give up. Here are some of the steps most likely to help you secure your home:
- Fit Grade-1 deadbolts to your exterior doors
- Install window locks that keep your windows closed or window stops that prevent them being opened more than a few inches
- Have a burglar alarm installed — One offering a monitoring service is a much bigger deterrent but will mean a monthly subscription
- Team up with your neighbors for mutual security support — Even if there’s no formal Neighborhood Watch program in place, you can make an informal pact to keep an eye on one another’s homes
- Have a neighbor collect your mail and papers for you and put out your trash whenever you’re away. If you’ll be gone a longer period of time, you can stop your mail delivery or forward it
- Keep shrubs and hedges trimmed — True, you’ll lose privacy, but burglars hate an audience
- For the same reason, use external lighting that’s triggered by motion sensors
- Again for the same reason, fit cameras so you can remotely monitor your home and record activity — These have become much more affordable recently
- Don’t use social media to tell the world you’re away — Post those wedding/vacation/business trip photos once you’re home
- Use home automation technologies to make the home look occupied when you’re away
Any combination of the above could encourage burglars to skip your home and move onto a more vulnerable one.
