Home owners continue to be concerned about personal safety and property loss. In 2009 alone, thieves burglarized over 1,393,000 homes in the United States stealing an average of $2,163 in property per home. This statistic is up 1.8% over 2008. While residential security systems significantly reduce the likelihood that a house will become a target, a few simple low-cost and no-cost steps can further deter a burglar from entering your home.
Remember, thieves want to stay in the shadows. They want to move about quietly and undetected. Anything that can possibly draw attention to them will deter their actions.
No Cost Ways to Protect Your Home
- Take your name off the mailbox. When a potential intruder has access to your name and physical address, a phone number is one Internet search away. By placing a phone call, a thief can get an indication about whether or not a family is home.
- Turn on the lights. Burglars like to remain undetected. In the evenings, keep outdoor lighting turned on. When you go out for a few hours, also keep some rooms lit in your home making it more difficult for the intruder to tell whether or not someone is home. If lighting costs are a concern, consider using flourescent or LED bulbs.
- Keep tools and ladders locked up. Do not leave tools and ladders in easily accessible locations. The goal is to deter criminals. A ladder left by the side of a house or under a deck provides the thief with a tool for entry.
- Keep windows and doors locked. Since burglaries do occur when people are home, keep windows and doors locked even when you are there, particularly in the evening and while you are sleeping.
- Keep track of your keys. While hiding a key somewhere outside your home is convenient, it is also an invitation to a thief. Make sure every family member knows where his/her key is and that they report any lost keys.
- Put sticks or a metal pipe in all sliding glass door and window tracks. Make sure the sitck fits snugly so an intruder cannot move the door or window.
- Keep hedges trimmed and away from your home's windows. The more a home is covered by vegetation, the easier it is for a thief to burglarize.
Low Cost Ways to Secure Your Home
- Put timers on your lights. When on vacation, time your lights so that they turn on in different rooms at varied times to give the impression someone is home.
- Upgrade your locks. Replace any old or flimsy door knobs and locks with new. Consider adding a deadbolt to the main doors.
- Put motion sensors on your outdoor lights. Motion sensors respond when there is movement nearby. If someone approaches your home, the lights turn on and scare them away. While this serves the same purpose as leaving your outdoor lights on at night, motion sensors are a more eco-friendly and economical option.
- Get a dog. A barking dog draws attention to the house. A large dog, particularly a guard dog, can frighten an intruder away.
- Secure the basement windows. Simple window alarms and security bars offer an inexpensive way to safeguard the basement.
While security systems and monitoring do provide the highest degree of protection, you can do something today to increase your home's security without much expense at all.
Sources:
Stack, Austin. Sure Action, Inc.
FBI. 2009 Uniform Crime Report.
Family Home Security. 6 Low-Cost Home Security Tips.
Home Security Pro. Low/No Cost Home Security Tips.
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