No matter how secure your community appears, leaving your home unattended and unsecured may not be a good idea. Burglars are always on the lookout for vulnerable homes. According to the most recent FBI statistics, there have been an estimated 1,401,840 burglaries in the United States in 2017. Also, burglary victims lost approximately $3.4 billion in property, with the average price loss per burglary crime at $2,416. All very reasonable causes to adopt as many precautions as possible and learn how to foil a burglar.
We gathered these top suggestions from security professionals and ex-burglars to assist in keeping your house — or your dear ones — secure.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right into it!
What Do Burglars Use to Mark Houses?
People know that burglars mark properties of interest to serve as a remembrance to oneself and a message to accomplices. For example, they may use a graffiti sign, a little dot of paint, or even a bit of thread attached to your fence.
How Do Burglars Target Houses?
A Damaged Home Alarm System
Rusted alarm boxes, self-installed CCTV cameras, and inadequate security lights are indicators that you may not take home safety seriously. Hence, this makes your property an easy target. Experienced robbers can easily determine whenever home security systems are pretty strong, which may raise a commotion if they try.
Solicitation Scams
Another method thieves use is to walk to front doors, saying they’re from a respectable business or a local government organization. And also possess some other motives to interact with you that appear plausible. This is a method for crooks to understand your house better, gather information, or discover if you have a security system, a barking dog, or something else that would make an escape more difficult.
How to Spot If Burglars Are Targeting Your House?
New Traffic Near Your Home
Suppose you discover a car parked nearby your house that you know does not belong to the neighbors or anyone visiting them. In that case, this might indicate that someone is watching your property. While you’re gone, employ surveillance cameras to track automobiles and look for patterns. For example, you may say the same for foot traffic nearby the house. So always keep your front door locked.
If you spot a stranger strolling close to or past your house regularly, they may be checking it out for weak areas.
Missing or Unscrewed Bulbs
Burglars prefer to work under cover of darkness to avoid detection by neighbors while trying to break in while you are not around. They may damage or even unscrew bulbs. So be on the lookout for this incident.
What Are the Most Common Signs and Symbols in burglar Codes?
- Barred circle: A home to prevent robbery; perhaps the household has a good alarm, surveillance cameras, or even a family dog.
- Circle: A simple house to target, maybe because it lacks a home security system.
- Triangle: A lone lady in the house; criminals may prey on women or the elderly since burglars perceive them as more susceptible targets.
- Ladder-like lines: Assets displayed inside the home; objects in the home worth taking.
- Cross: Inhabitants who might respond to religion; be cautious of persistent religious canvassers; they may not be whom they claim to be!
- Two prohibited waves: A guy who responds toward women; burglars doing their homework are likely to exploit a house owner’s weak areas to get knowledge and entry.
- M for vacant in the morning, N for vacant at night — the symbols might be as basic as that, as criminals are likely to keep track of your activities into or out of the house.
How to Foil a Burglar?
These are some methods through which one can foil a burglar:
- Install a sticker indicating the presence of an alarm system, even if one does not exist.
- If you must store valuables at home, choose two hiding places, one easy to discover and the other very good. Put some junk jewelry and a few $10 notes in a visible location in an aluminum foil; if the thief discovers it, he’ll assume it’s your stockpile and cease hunting.
- Use deadbolt locks that require keys to open. Spring locks, which automatically lock whenever someone shuts the door, are simple to pick.
- Never configure your phone answering machine to suggest you’re not at home. Make it indicate that you cannot answer calls, and it will answer the phone when you are able.
- Maintain as much of your house as possible visible to your neighbors. Fences and tall plants near windows or doors might hide burglars. Unpruned trees near the home might serve as a stepladder for robbers.
- Always enter the house by the main entrance, never the garage. When burglars gain entry to the garage, the garage will hide you and them from the neighbors.
- Is your garage door equipped with a row of glass windows across the top? A thief can look in and check if your automobile is present. A strong garage door is safer, as are your house doors.
- Arrange for someone to house-sit during funerals or weddings so that the location is not left unattended.
- Pay attention to recent comments from strangers if you find something fishy.
- Inform as few persons as possible about every upcoming excursion, and instruct the children not to publicize their intentions.
- Give the idea that someone is still at home when taking a cab to the airport. Say farewell loudly or, if there are two or more of us, indicate that just one of you is departing and the others will return once the flight takes off.
- Set a timer for the Radio or tv to turn on and off multiple times during both day and night. Ideally, please set it to conversation programs so that the burglar may hear voices from home.
- Consider putting your air conditioner on a timer in the summer, especially if you’re only going to go away for a short period. Burglars assume that a house is vacant on a hot day if the air conditioning system is off.
- Turning down the volume on your phone prevents you from being heard outdoors. Furthermore, posting your name just on the mailbox allows burglars to easily search your phone number and call to check if you’re home.
- It’s a good idea to leave your car in the driveway while you’re gone. However, some burglars who scout possible targets mark the tires using chalk and look afterward to see if someone has indeed moved the cars. If it hasn’t, they know there’s no one at home. Request that a neighbor relocate the car once a day or that he put his car in the driveway.
- During vacations, have a neighbor pick up the mail and newspapers; you won’t have to notify delivery providers that you’ll be gone.
- Be cautious of service personnel such as meter readers, deliverymen, and even police officers. A uniform, like a badge, symbolizes nothing. Ask for identification before allowing anybody into your home. Be extra wary of anyone who does not have a car parked beside your door. Never leave an unlocked door.
How to Theft Proof Your Home?
Your house is a location where you may unwind and spend time with family. As an outcome, it is critical to maintaining its security and safety. While you may incorporate certain features of your home’s architecture and design to boost security, you may also want to consider adding a security system to burglar-proof the property.
Here are some options varying from simple and affordable to more expensive. For example, you may choose the best solution by evaluating how much time and money users want to invest.
General Home Security Measures
Suppose cutting-edge home protection equipment weren’t what you require. In that case, you can certainly pay attention to basic value-conscious procedures that are the foundation of home protection. These include replacing old locks with tamper-proof ones, reinforcing doors and keeping windows locked, and even trying to light the landscape with motion-activated lights.
A door barrier or a safety bar can also reinforce your exteriors. If you want a less expensive choice for motion-activated lights:
- Experiment with trying solar-powered lighting systems.
- Keep your valuables from their sight and your keys hidden.
- Put thorny shrubs and plants next to the window as a quick cure.
Be Mindful of Sliding Doors and Windows
Criminals can quickly replace horizontal sliding windows or glass doors with rails. As a result, these require additional safeguards, particularly while on vacation. For example, install a dowel or a shower rod in the track to prevent thieves from sliding the window or door open even if they get through the lock.
You may also install an additional foot lock that stops the door from being forced open. Install simple windows sensor alarm to receive notifications whenever someone opens a window in your house.
A door detector can also notify users if the lock has been tampered with. For example, consider installing a regular alarm and a magnet contact strip for a much more cost-effective option. In addition, the alarm sounds whenever the door opens, and the magnetic contact is interrupted.
Use Smart Home Systems
A smart home solution does not have to cost a fortune to install. Several low-cost smart home gadgets are available that can protect you and your home secure while you are gone. However, if your budget permits, you may choose any of the most expensive models. Examples are web security cameras, bells with built-in mics, cordless video surveillance, motion detectors, phony TV sets, heavy-duty strike plate door locks with built-in sirens, and even Bluetooth-enabled deadbolts.
You might also look at smart locks that do not need keys. For example, a peel-and-stick alert that sounds when someone opens a door is a low-cost alternative. You may also acquire a home monitoring package these days, which includes a variety of gadgets, including movement and door sensors that enable users to switch devices on & off remotely.
Pay Special Heed To the Garage
A garage is a key entrance point to your house that appears popular with most burglars these days. Since burglars are excellent lock pickers, make a point of locking any doors that lead to the garage, both inside and out. Invest in a sensor door or employ home automation to safeguard your garage. Consider using additional locks to keep the doors shut. A safety system could also be quite useful.
If you are on a tight budget, you may utilize some basic strategies to accomplish your task. You might, for example, install 1000-watt lights to brighten the space. Cover your garage windows with frosted films or drapes. This prevents strangers from seeing inside. Don’t ever leave the garage remote inside the car as a precaution. Instead, install a porthole to get access to the garage.
However, there is no maximum limit to how much one may spend on your home; keeping your budget and needs in mind is critical. If you want to choose a few smart gadgets to give extra security without breaking the bank, use a smart lock and a video doorbell that will do the job for you! Following good security practices is always beneficial.
Final Words
Your residence: You admire it, yet you have to depart from it occasionally.
Leaving your biggest purchase to rely on its own for 9 hours a day or seven nights on a lovely vacation may be frustrating. And that’s a valid issue; break-ins occur whenever your property appears vacant. Quite much.
By just not departing from your residence anymore, you may prevent robbers. You can also do the second nicest option and create the impression that someone is always present. Also, keep a neighborhood watch to be aware of your surroundings.
By following the steps mentioned above, you can make a burglar’s job more tricky. For example, the Oregon department punishes the most burglars. But regardless of what you do, a determined thief will always find a way to rob you.
This article discussed all the ways you can foil a robber.
