Increase Your Home Security

Prevent your home from being robbed. These tips can help increase your home's security without spending anything.

Steps

  1. Think like a burglar. Pretend to be a burglar yourself, and try to think of ways to break into your own home. Study your home and observe any weaknesses in its security.
  2. Lock your doors. Even if you may have grown up in a place where it was okay to leave your door unlocked, the world is different now. Many robbers only enter homes when they find a door is unlocked.
  3. Lock the windows. Ground level windows and sliding doors are easy to open from the outside. A slightly more motivated thief will check.
  4. Lock the balcony door. Never leave the balcony door unlocked at night or when going out. Balconies could provide easy access to burglars.
  5. Lock garage doors. Garage doors provide access into your home, so treat them as any other door; make sure they are locked properly, as well as the door that leads from the garage room into your house.
  6. New home, new locks. When moving into a new residence, change all locks as you never know who has a copy of your key.
  7. Leave the lights, TV, and stereo on. When you go out, leave a light on in any room in the house or invest in a light timer to automatically turn on lights at whatever time you want. Let the thief hesitate about breaking in.
  8. Don't leave notes on the door. For example: "Hi delivery company, I won't be home all day just leave my packages on the back porch." To a robber, that says, "Hi robber, I'm not home for the day so you can rob my house." Not only will a thief look on your porch, he'll also know definitively that you won't be home for the day.
  9. Close drapes. Keep drapes closed in rooms with expensive equipment that could give burglars a peek into your home.
  10. Report strange things to the police. If you see a strange car driving through the neighborhood several times a day, report it! If someone is sitting in their car parked on your street for a long time, report it! A moving van at your neighbors house with no for sale sign, report it!
  11. Install security lighting to your yard. It is harder for a thief to break in if there are lights placed at entry points to your house.
  12. Get an alarm system. If a burglar managed to break into your house, an alarm system could deter him from proceeding.
  13. Change your lock if you ever lose your key. Someone else might have picked it up.
  14. Make sure your hedges are trimmed below the level of the window sill.
  15. Get a dog. A dog bark can serve as a warning and attract attention, something burglars try to avoid.
  16. Never leave a spare key. It is not recommended to leave a spare key left anywhere around your home, especially in obvious places such as under the welcome mat.
  17. Get safety bars on windows. Especially if your home is located in a bad area. These will prevent burglars from breaking in through the windows.
  18. Get a safe. A safe can help protect not only valuables but also important paperwork, cheque books, bank statements and financial records.
  19. Use good exterior lighting to ward off potential robbers. Well-lit entrances are an effective deterrent.

Tips

  • When buying any appliance such as a computer or TV, do you just throw the box outside? Anyone can drive by and see a Plasma screen TV box in your garbage and know you have a new TV. Same thing goes for a computer, stereo, video game and any other item that is easily portable and may be expensive. If the average thief sees you have just gotten new stuff why would he go next door to steal?
  • If somebody calls and says they're doing a home security survey, always say you have a security system hooked up to both the fire department and police department, as well as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, because you never know who is really calling. It is easy for a potential burglar to pose as a telemarketer.
  • When replacing or repairing locks make sure you use a reputable company/locksmiths with qualified engineers. Ensure your locksmiths are CBR checked (Criminal Records Bureau) and authorized dealers of the locks they are supplying.
  • OAP's often qualify for reduced rates with lock repairs or replacements, always ask your local Locksmiths.
  • Mow the lawn. If a potential thief comes by and sees that the grass is not cut and the newspapers are still on the porch, he sees an opportunity. Nobody is home or nobody cares. This is especially important when selling your house or going on vacation. Ask your neighbours if they can collect your mail, or ask the post office to hold your mail, and mow your lawn make your house secure by making it look lived in. People being home means the thief will move on to easier pickings. Thieves are generally lazy they try to make the easy money in the easy way. Don't give them a chance.
  • Keep your lights on a timer; it will trick the burglars into thinking you're at home.
  • If you see any strange car you're suspicious about, report it and take a picture of the number plate.
  • Replace screws on door jams with longer screws 4-6". A normal packaged lock bought at the hardware store will include 1" screws. Longer screws make it harder to kick in doors.

Warnings

  • Don't post on Facebook or other social networking sites that you're going on vacation. Others will see that you won't be home for a while, and will see this as an opportunity to rob your house.
  • Simple and effective security is mostly common sense. You would not leave your house with the keys in the door would you? Then why would you leave your keys in your car with the engine running and you inside. Get an extra key for the door or get a remote starter. Don't make it easy for your car to be taken. Keep your wallet in your pocket and some money in your other pocket.

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