Ways to Protect Your Home from Being Burglarized
PRIVACY FENCE:
Who doesn’t like a nice private back yard? After all when your lying out in the sun, or your kids are in the yard playing, you don’t want some stranger watching. The idea of a privacy fence is to keep people on the other side of the fence from seeing you isn’t it? Well, a privacy fence works in the favor of a burglar as well. Once they are in your yard no one can see them. This gives the burglar more time to gain entrance in your home, without the risk of being seen.
OUTDOOR LIGHTING:
If your lucky enough to live near a streetlight, then you have an advantage. Burglars who choose to break into homes after dark are less likely to choose a home that is under lights. The more light you have in your yard, the better. If you do not live near a streetlight, or the closest streetlight to you does not shine on your property, you should consider having outdoor lighting installed. Motion lights are inexpensive, and can be easily installed. You should make sure that all 4 sides of your home is covered. With motion lights, the light only comes on when movement triggers the sensors, and go off after several minutes. They do take some getting used to. A stray cat can trip a motion sensor, but after a week or so you’ll stop running to check.
PLANTS:
Plants, shrubs, and hedges look beautiful, but they can aid a criminal. A heavily planted yard provides coverage for a burglar. The more plants you have, the more coverage they have, especially around doors, and windows. You should make sure all hedges and shrubs near the home, or along the fence line are trimmed at all times. Hedges, and other shrubs planted closely together should always be cut back. They shouldn’t stand no taller then 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall at all times. Plants against a window should always be at least 8 inches below the window seal. Large trees such as the Oak tree, provides shade in the daytime, and coverage at night. If you have large trees that keep your property darker then other neighbors yard at night, consider installing motion lights.
COVERED PORCHES & DOORS:
The doors to your home should be viewable from the curb, or edges of your property line. Porches that are covered or screened in provide wonderful coverage to anyone breaking in your home. It only takes a second or two to walk to your door, once inside a covered porch the criminal is protected. That means they only have a couple of seconds to worry about being seen. To add protection to your home, all doors leading to the outside should have deadbolt locks installed.
WINDOWS:
Large windows allow sunlight in your home, but they also allow the outside world to see in. This allows burglars the advantage of seeing the layout of your home, and get a sneak peek of whats inside. All windows, especially large ones that can be seen from the road should have curtains, or blinds installed. You should keep all windows shut and locked when your not at home. If you have large picture windows, or windows that do not open, don’t make the assumption that they are safe. Burglars have no problem with breaking a window in order to gain access to your home. To lower the risk of having windows broken, remove all loose objects from the outside of the home. Loose bricks, large rocks, and heavy small garden statues can all be used to break windows.
A burglar has two things on his mind when he breaks into a home. What are the chances of getting caught, and is there anything valuable inside? By keeping the outside of your home open, and viewable on all sides, you will increase their chances of getting caught. Don’t brag to friends or neighbors about what you own. Small remarks such as my son owns a XBox 360 with over 100 games, can cause you trouble in the long run. On average a burglar is in and out of your home in less then 5 minutes. Even if you don’t own any rare art work, common items such as DVD’s, jewelery. computers, and other electronics can been resold. It is better to be safe then sorry.
