7 Signs Your Home is a Burglar's Dream Come True
Keeping your home safe involves more than just installing locks and alarms.
Inadequate exterior lighting or common practices like hiding spare keys in obvious places can compromise your home's safety by making it an attractive target for burglars. Simple actions – such as maintaining a well-lit exterior, using advanced locking mechanisms and securing tools – enhance your home security.
The following is a list of signs your home is vulnerable to break ins and provides practical solutions to help you bolster your security.
1. Insufficient exterior lighting
Exterior lighting is essential for home security, regardless of whether you have a camera system or not. Without lighting, your home is attractive to potential burglars as these can use the cover of darkness or shadows to approach your house undetected.
Adequate lighting makes it easy for you to notice if there’s anyone moving around your property. It also increases the likelihood of neighbors or passersby to spot suspicious activity. When you have security cameras, exterior lighting ensures your devices will capture clear footage, helping law enforcement identify and apprehend intruders.
2. Hiding spare keys in obvious places
Hiding spare keys under a rug or rock is a common practice, so burglars will likely check these spots first. Because these hiding spots are well known, using them compromises your home’s security. Potential burglars won't need to break a window or pick a lock to force themselves in.
Instead of opting for a common hiding place, consider installing a smart lock. These security devices allow you to unlock your door with a code or an app on your phone if your keys are lost or stolen. Check out our list of the best smart locks to learn more.
3. Lack of a home security system
Houses without a home security system are prime targets for burglars on the lookout for vulnerable properties. Without these systems, you have no effective way of monitoring the surroundings or interior of your home. With a comprehensive security system, you can keep an eye on your home in real-time, whether you're there, away at work or on vacation.
Additionally, the best home security systems provide an extra layer of protection by alerting you and the authorities to any suspicious activity. This combination of technology and professional monitoring enhances your home's safety and deters potential intruders.
4. Overgrown lawn, trees or bushes
An overgrown lawn, along with untrimmed trees and bushes, creates hiding spots for burglars and obstructs the view of security cameras. Not maintaining your landscape also prevents you from monitoring the outside of your home. Intruders can use overgrown foliage as cover to approach your house unnoticed.
To avoid this safety hazard, keep your bushes and any other plants trimmed so as to have clear visibility of your surroundings and ensure security cameras have an unobstructed view. Regular upkeep of your lawn not only helps with home security, but also improves the overall appearance of your home.
5. Valuables left in view from the outside
Leaving valuables in plain view from the outside makes your home an attractive target for burglars. When potential intruders can easily see expensive items through windows it may encourage them to break in, knowing there's a reward inside worth the risk.
To curtail this risk, store valuables out of sight and use curtains or blinds to block the view from outside. By keeping your possessions hidden, you can significantly deter burglars and enhance the security of your home.
6. Packaging left outside for long periods
Leaving packaging from new electronics or other valuable items on the curb for extended periods signals to burglars that there are valuable devices inside your home.
Additionally, allowing mail or packages to accumulate by your door draws the attention of porch pirates and suggests that you may be away, increasing the risk of break ins. To avoid this risk, wait until the night before trash collection to put packaging outside and arrange for a hold at the post office when you're on vacation.
7. Unsecured tools left in the yard
Burglars can use common tools like screwdrivers, hammers and crowbars to pry open windows and doors, which is why leaving these unsecured makes your home vulnerable to break-ins. Intruders can use a ladder left outside to jump the fence or access second-story windows. As many people tend to forgo using door, window or glass break sensors for second-story entrances, this constitutes a significant risk. In lieu of installing censors, always store tools and ladders in a locked shed or garage when not in use.