5 Ways to Protect Your Home Against Burglary

As a homeowner, there is nothing more scary than the fear of having your house broken into by a burglar. However, all too often we fail to take the necessary precautions to protect against an invasion.
With these five tips, you can help keep burglars out and sleep well knowing your home is well protected from any attempt at an invasion. All five of these tips are fairly easy to implement, and there is no cost too great when it comes to keeping yourself and your family safe.
Therefore, if you are on vacation – and especially while you are home – you can know, with certainty, that your home is protected.

Install New Windows

First and foremost, the windows are the most vulnerable place for a burglar to break into. When a burglar sees old windows, they are more likely to attempt to break in than if they see new, strong windows. Also, it may be time to replace your sliding glass door.
While a weak window is likely to break without making too much sound or setting off any house alarms, a new window that is strong and durable can only be broken with excessive force that  causes a huge disturbance to the neighboring homes, and it is far more likely to be in sync with any security system you have in place.
Additionally, old windows may never even have to be broken in the first place. When windows age, their ability to stay locked greatly diminishes, which means a burglar may be able to simply break the lock and lift the window by pushing on it really hard. On the other hand, stronger windows are more often than not very secure when they are locked and stand little to no chance of popping open during a burglary attempt.
Most importantly, however, is that new windows are simply stronger and can withstand an attempt of being broken more often that not.

Increase The Lighting Around Your Home

Another great way to protect your home against burglary is to increase the lighting of your home. Burglars love to work in the dark. Shine a spotlight on them, and they are likely to flea the scene.
While one great way to increase the lighting around your home is to quite simply install more outside lights and leave one or more of them on throughout the night. However, if you are like many others and do not want a bunch of obnoxious lights on right outside your bedroom while you sleep, there is a better way. Instead, install some motion activation lights, which only turn on when someone stands in front of it. By doing so, you can continue to sleep peacefully and scare off any burglary attempts by having a bright light shine on them anytime they get close to the perimeter of your home.
If you live in a neighborhood, try talking to the city about installing more street lights around your home to help protect the entire neighborhood, especially if other burglaries have happened in the area recently. Anything that allows for more safety, the city may be willing to do so it is worth a shot if nothing else.

Keep Fences and Doors Locked

It is also important to keep all of your fence gates and, more importantly, all of your doors locked. While it may seem obvious to lock your doors, you may be surprised by how often many forget to do so, especially back, side and garage doors.
One great way to ensure everything is locked at night is to install a security system that is capable of working off of a timer. By doing so, you can set it to where all of your doors around the home lock at a certain time.
Locking gates and fences around the home is important as well. While you may be thinking they can just jump the fence if they have to, doing so is likely to cause a lot of sound and wake up either someone in your home or a neighbor who can help. Also, be sure to lock all windows in your home as well. By keeping everything locked up at night and installing quality locks that work, you can fight off any attempt at a burglary.

Secure Valuables Inside

While the previous three strategies should prevent any burglary attempt from being successful, it is important to ensure your valuables are safe and secure in the event a burglar does get in.
The best way to secure your valuables inside your home is to invest in a safe, and then place the safe in a secure location, such as a bedroom closet that is locked and hard to access. Place all of your most expensive items in, which may include jewelry, photo albums, etc.
While it may not be necessary to place every important item in a secure location, it is highly encouraged to do so in the event you leave to go on vacation or the entire leaves for any reason for an extended amount of time. By doing so, you can keep your most prized possession safe from harm in the event a robbery took place inside your home.

Take Extra Caution While On Vacation

Lastly, it is especially important to take extra caution when you and your family leave to go on a vacation. While most burglars do not have the courage to rob a home when they know someone is home, they are far more confident in attempting to do so if they know there isn’t anyone inside the home.
While on vacation, there are certain things you can do to be extra cautious. First and foremost, let your neighbors know you will be gone (unless they are burglars in their spare time). By doing so, they can keep an eye out for your home and notify you if they see anything unusual.
Additionally, double check to make sure all of your alarm systems are working and the locks are secure to fight off any burglary attempt that does occur.

What are some other ways that you can safeguard your home and family against burglary?
Leave a comment with your best home security tips in the section below.