How to Burglar Proof Your Home

In this guide, you will find some tips and tricks to help burglar-proof your home and prevent intruders from breaking in. Your home deserves protection.

Even with the growing popularity of home security systems, home intrusion is still a threat that will make anyone shudder in fear. However, whether you own your home or rent an apartment, there are several things you can do to keep your home safe and secure. Many of these tips and tricks we’re sharing with you today are simple to follow, and each one will help to deter burglars from targeting your home. Below are some of the things that you can do to keep the safety, privacy, and integrity of your home from being compromised.

Prevention is Priority

It is a lot easier to deter criminals than it is to stop them after they’ve already made up their minds. Keep in mind that most burglars will spend time casing houses before they choose their target. So the best thing you can do is to prevent them from selecting your home as a target in the first place. With this in mind, remember that a clean appearance makes a safer home. Here are some great ways to deter burglars and thieves from targeting your home.

Lighting is Key

Bright lighting is the first thing that you should consider, as it’s one of the first things that a burglar will consider when casing a property. It’s no secret that burglaries often happen in areas that are not brightly lit. Dimly-lit yards make better targets. And poor lighting makes it hard for neighbors or passers-by to catch the details of what is going on.

One of the first things that you should do is to make sure that your yard is well lit. Installing spotlights is a great way to do this. There are a lot of spotlights that come equipped with motion sensors that will automatically turn the lights on when motion is detected near your home. We recommend reading our Ring Spotlight Cam review, or checking out our in-depth look at the Torch 360 from Zmodo.

Ring Spotlight Cam at Twilight

You should also consider leaving a light on in your house if you plan to be away for an extended period of time. The best light to leave on would be a living room light or a light that shines out of a window on the front of your house. So if you’re going on vacation soon, remember to flip a switch!

Avoid a Sense of Vacancy

You should never leave your house in a state that makes it appear as though nobody is home. This is another reason why leaving a living room light on is a smart idea. Another way to give potential intruders the impression that someone is home is to leave the TV or radio on so that sounds are coming from the inside. A burglar is less likely to target your home if you create the illusion that someone is home.

Hide Your Valuables

Another way to keep burglars from targeting your home is to keep valuables out of sight. Having desirable items in the yard or visible through your windows is just an incentive for a burglar to choose your house as a target.

You should also avoid leaving your gas grill or other appliances out and visible from the street. As far as the interior is concerned, be sure to draw the blinds or drapes so that there is no visibility into the interior of your home.

Eliminate Hiding Spots

By this, we mean you should not leave visible obstructions in your yard. Having large objects in your yard can give burglars a place to hide and avoid any onlooking eyes. Unruly bushes, shrubs, or trees are also good hiding places that should be kept trimmed and tidy. Keeping obstructions out of your yard will also allow you to see potential intruders if they approach while you are at home.

Fortify Points of Entry

The simplest ways for someone to enter your home are through the avenues that are intended for entry: the doors and windows. With this in mind, you should direct your focus to really fortifying those vulnerable entry points.

Your doors should be thick and heavy. Most exterior doors are heavy-duty, but some exterior doors (like side doors) can still be easy to break into. If you do not have strike plates, you should seriously consider them. Strike plates reinforce your doors to make them difficult to kick down or otherwise break into.

Vivint Smart Lock Options

We also recommend placing a deadbolt somewhere on the door where it cannot be accessed through a window (whether on the door or nearby). Or better yet, consider purchasing and installing a smart lock. We recently reviewed the best smart locks available, so you should be able to find something that will work for your home and budget. You should also see to it that your doorknobs are in good working condition and that they are not brittle, old, or loose.

Windows are also common points of entry for burglars. Keep them covered (close your blinds or drapes) and always keep them firmly latched. It is also important that you rid your yard of things like rocks and sticks that could be used to break a window. Not all burglaries are well thought out. It can happen that someone targets your home spontaneously, in a crime of opportunity. Either way, you don’t want to make it easy for a bad guy to gain access to your home.

Cove Door/Window Sensor

Other Precautions

There are plenty of ways you can further fortify your home and make it difficult for an intruder to get in. One of the most obvious is to keep your garage door closed and latched. The garage is a perfect hiding place for a burglar to use while he or she tries to enter your home.

You should also clear your yard of any objects that can be climbed to reach your roof or a high window. These objects might include ladders, trees, lattices, or large appliances.

You’ll also want to keep your neighbors involved. Letting your neighbors know about travel plans and leaving them a way to contact you in case of an emergency is usually a good idea. Just be sure you trust your neighbors before giving them your travel itinerary! A hostile neighbor likely isn't the person you want to depend on.

Home Security Systems

Vivint Smart Home Equipment

Home security systems go beyond providing a deterrent for burglars. There are a lot of different security system options out there, and many are high-quality. It is important, however, that you do your homework to figure out which is best for your needs. If you want to protect your home from the inside out, it’s wise to install a security system that uses alarms, lighting, and video surveillance with home security cameras.

While setting up your home security, you should keep these three steps in mind:

• Prevent: Prevention should be your first priority. Do whatever you can to eliminate your house from a burglar’s list of easy targets.
• Create Friction: If a burglar attempts to break into your home, you should have deterrents in place to keep them out.
• Have a Reaction Plan: When all else fails, you should have a good contingency plan. Have a plan to call the authorities and any family members who need to know about the incident. If you will be away, ask a trusted neighbor to call you and the authorities if they notice an incident in or around your home.

Police Officer Sent to Our House from Cove Monitoring

Final Words on Burglar Proofing Your Home

In this guide, we’ve highlighted some great ideas about how to burglar-proof your home. You should never settle for second-best when it comes to the safety of your home and loved ones. If you implement these simple tips and tricks, your home is much less likely to become a target to thieves, burglars, and other no-good criminals.