Burglaries happen every 26 seconds in the U.S. That makes learning how to protect your home from invasion a worthwhile effort.
It’s not as difficult as you think to secure your home from potential burglars. Many home invasion prevention steps are simple yet effective, giving you peace of mind, whether you’re at home or away.
Keep reading to learn how to protect your home from invasions.
Keep Vehicles Away From Your Home
If burglars can easily pull into your driveway and get near your home, they can load your belongings with less attention. Make it more difficult for them to get close by surrounding your property with highly durable fence panels with a gate on your driveway. This gives you more control over who has access to your property in a vehicle.
Fences and gates can be both decorative and functional. Installing the best automatic gate opener lets you easily enter your driveway and decide who else you let onto your property.
Remove Exterior Hiding Spots
Large, full bushes and tall trees might look appealing in your landscaping, but they also block the view of your house from the road. This makes those areas perfect hiding spots for people invading your home. That’s especially true if the bushes are near your doors or windows.
Other large structures or decorations in your yard can also serve as hiding spots for burglars.
Make it more difficult to access your home undetected by getting rid of those hiding spots. Trim back your landscaping to keep your doors and windows easily visible.
Add Lighting
Another way to make breaking into your home more challenging is by lighting up your home’s exterior every night. Lots of exterior lights, especially around windows and doors, mean anyone who tries to break into your home will be in the spotlight. Motion-sensor lights can also be effective in scaring off burglars as they approach your home.
Hide Valuable Items
Leaving expensive items, such as grills, bikes, and ATVs, attracts thieves. If the items are left outside, they’re easier to take without getting caught. They might also assume you have more valuable things inside your garage or home, which might tempt them to break in, either that day or another day.
Keep items secured in a garage or shed that locks. Block the windows with shades so no one can see what’s inside those structures. Consider what people can see through your windows when the curtains are open, which can also tempt burglars to break in.
Beef Up Your Locks
If your doors don’t have deadbolts, have them installed right away. They provide more security than other locks. If you’ve never changed your locks since you moved into your home, consider changing them or having them rekeyed in case any old keys are still floating around.
Smart locks are also an option that can keep your home safe. Since you don’t need a key, you won’t have to leave a spare key outside in case you get locked out.
You can also lock and unlock your doors from the app even if you’re not home. This means you can lock the house if someone forgets to lock it. You can also let people in remotely instead of handing out copies of your keys.
Install Home Automation System
A home security system can help deter burglars before they enter your home. An alarm can scare away invaders, and the system can automatically alert the police about the invasion.
Security cameras can capture footage of people snooping around your home or people who actually break in. That footage can be used as evidence to find the home invaders.
Other home automation devices can also be effective. The systems let you keep an eye on your home even when you’re not there through a smartphone app.
Video doorbells are growing in popularity and can track when someone comes near your home. Many systems let you talk through the doorbell even if you’re not home to scare away burglars.
Another option for home automation is to turn lights on and off when you’re not home. Using timers for lights is an option, but it can become predictable and be a sign that you’re not home. When you’re lights are connected to your home automation system, you can turn them off and on at random times so it looks like someone is there.
Secure Vehicles
Keep your garage door locked to keep burglars away from your car. This protects it from getting broken into while it’s at home. You should also lock your car doors even if it’s parked in the garage.
If you park your garage outside, keep the doors locked at all times, especially if you have a garage door opener in your vehicle. If it’s unlocked, a burglar can swipe your garage door opener and get in easily. This can be especially dangerous if you have an attached garage because the burglar has easy access into your home.
Reinforce Windows
Your windows can be an easy access point for home invasions. Always keep your windows locked to make it more difficult to get in. Upgrading to safety glass can make it more difficult for burglars to break your windows.
You can also add decorative metal window grates to your home. The metal bars make it difficult to get into your home even if the glass is broken. Supplemental locks can also make your windows more secure.
Be Safe When You’re Gone
Getting to know your neighbors can come in handy when you’re gone. Ask your neighbor to take out your trash bins, pick up your newspapers, and handle other tasks that could give away that you’re gone.
Don’t talk about your trip before you go. Avoid posting about it on social media or sharing photos while you’re away. You don’t want people to know you’re gone or your home becomes a bigger target.
Learn How to Protect Your Home From Invasion
Figuring out how to protect your home from invasion starts with looking for vulnerabilities. Correct the issues you have and add more security features to give yourself even more peace of mind.
Explore more of our articles for additional tips and tricks.