When storm season’s coming up, you’re ready to safeguard your home against Mother Nature’s fury. We understand – when Mother Nature’s in a good mood, everything’s great. It’s when the old girl’s in a rotten mood that we all need to watch out.

We’ve already given you “9 Tips for Safeguarding Your Home Against Natural Disasters.” In this post, we’re expanding the theme to some unnatural disasters. Today, we’re showing you how to safeguard your home against burglars.

Are You Concerned About Your Home Security?

You should be. Burglary rates are the lowest that we’ve seen in some time. That said, there were over 460 burglaries committed a day in 2018. That’s just over one burglary every four minutes. Of more concern, perhaps, is that 51% of robbers will come back again within a month

It makes sense – they know the lay of the land, and what security you have. Even if they don’t come back to your house, they may target your neighbor.

Now that we’ve gone through the statistics, you’re probably wondering, “What can I do to beef up my home security?” Let’s dive right in and see.

Top Tips to Protect Your Home

The bad news is that a determined thief will find a way to get around most security measures. The good news is that many thefts are crimes of opportunity. If a criminal sees a weakness that they can exploit, they’re bound to try their luck.

That said, the more security measures you have in place, the less appealing your place becomes. Here are some simple ideas that you can implement today.

Start with Good Locks

Spend a bit more and get mortice locks. You must use a key to unlock these. Yale locks are convenient because they lock automatically. They can also be unlocked from the inside by turning the knob. All a criminal has to do is break a nearby pane of glass and reach around to unlock the door. Also, consider installing locks on windows.

Make Your Area as Bright as Day

Most robberies are committed during the day when you’re at work. For those criminals that attack at night, making sure that the entrance zones are well-lit is a good deterrent.

Start by lighting up any doors or windows that can be used for access. Make sure that the perimeter of your home is well lit. This increases the chances of a passer-or neighbor spotting the robbery. As a result, criminals will usually avoid that home.

Consider installing motion-sensor operated lights for your garden as an extra safety measure. Finally, get yourself a timer for one or two lights inside. Set these to go off periodically throughout the night. You could, for example, use these in the kitchen, a bathroom, and the lounge.

This makes it look like someone is moving around the house at night.

Put in a Loud Alarm

It’s only the brashest thief that will continue a break-in with an alarm sounding. Most criminals will hot foot it out of there before the cops or your security service arrives. For those that don’t, you’ve got an early warning system that someone is breaking in.

Don’t Leave Stuff Lying Around the Garden

Garden tools, ladders, and pieces of scrap metal can be used to gain access. Opportunistic thieves will often hop over the fence to pinch anything that they feel has value.

Don’t Advertise What You Have

You just bought a massive TV at a huge discount. You want to brag about the deal on social media. That’s a bad idea because anyone could be watching. Your friends might never consider stealing. Can you say the same of the people they’re connected to?

By the same token, leaving valuable items in plain view is also a big no-no. Put that new TV somewhere that it can’t be seen from a window. Make sure that all valuables are secure and stored out of reach of a window.

It’s also best not to broadcast absences from home on social media. Don’t post that you’re painting the town red or going on holiday until you’re back.

Limit Access

We once lived in a flat on the fourth floor. There was only one entrance. We were at the end of the block. We thought we were safe. We were wrong. We know that the thieves didn’t come in through the door because they couldn’t get the security gate open when they left.

Take a lesson – nowhere is completely inaccessible. Make your place less accessible by keeping gates looked. Ensure that you get a warning if someone opens an external gate.  Consider using a specialized paint on drainpipes to make them difficult to climb.

Dogs are Great Deterrents

Ideally, get a nice couple of big dogs for outside and a yappy dog to sleep inside. That way, if a criminal distracts or poisons your big dogs, the yappy dog can still give you a warning.

Get to Know Your Neighbours

Get to know the people in your street, and you can look out for each other. Consider creating a WhatsApp group for the street. That way, if someone sees something suspicious, they can notify the others. The more alert the neighborhood is, the less attractive it becomes to criminals.

Find Better Spots to Hide Valuables

A well-hidden safe is a good option. If that’s not possible, be sure to find some clever hiding spots. Hiding valuable in book safes is an old trick. It’s not going to work unless you have a lot of books. Even the old trick of hiding the valuables in vitamin bottles is out.

If your criminal is a drug addict, they may take the pill bottle. If not, they’re likely to try rattling the bottle. Think more creatively. A floating shelf or fake plant with a false bottom in it are good alternatives.

Wrapping it All Up

Preventing crime is only effective if you have several safeguards in place. That way, if one method fails, you have backups. Most criminals want to get in and out as fast as possible. Make that as difficult as possible for them, and they’ll look for a softer target.

– This is a guest post not writen by the websites’ owner.