Prevent home burglary

Alert and concerned neighbors are your best allies in preventing home burglary. This is true even if you are only away at work. Good neighbors are your first line of defense against burglary or any attempt to vandalize your home while you are gone. You should ask your neighbor to pick up your mail and newspapers so they do not pile up in front of your door. A pile of old mail and newspapers is same as hanging big “Empty House” neon sign.

If you have a trusted relative or a trusted neighbor, give them a key to your house and ask them to watch your house and check on it occasionally.

Whenever you are leaving your home, make sure that all windows and doors are closed and locked too. For increased safety and better protection against burglars, try to install best locks you can find on your outside doors and windows. While a determined professional burglar will probably find a way to break into your house, most burglaries are committed by amateurs and are simply crimes of opportunity. Good locks are perfect deterrent for those amateur burglars.

More difficult you make it for someone to burglarize your home, more likely it is that a burglar will not even attempt, due to the increased risk of being seen by your friendly neighbors. 

Full-blown alarm system and surveillance cameras are the best protection for your home, but it can be a little too much for your budget. However, a couple of motion sensor lights on the outside and a couple of electronic timers on inside lights can do wonders for your home’s safety. If you really want to maximize your electronic home protection, you can install timer switches that will occasionally turn on and off the TV and lamps creating an impression that you are still at home. A few dummy CCTV cameras strategically placed on the outside of your home will certainly help chase the burglars away.

Do not leave anything of value in plain sight. If a glimpse through any of your windows can provide a burglar with a nice view of your LCD TV or gun collection, you are not doing it right. Safes and sturdy locked cabinets are good choices but there are also simple ways of hiding your valuables in plain sight. Still, try to keep drapes, shades and curtains arranged so that neighbors or police can see into your house.

Even when you have done anything in your power to prevent home burglary, it can still happen.

Take photos or a video of valuable items in your home. This will help you in their identification if they are stolen, and if you pay for insurance, it can help you with your claim.

Let your trusted neighbor know your cell phone number and the name and phone of the hotel where you will be staying. Making sure that you are available, even when on vacation, and that you can be reached in any case of emergency, will help you enjoy your vacation knowing that you have done everything to prevent home burglary.