Today, we’re going to be looking at 12 tips to keep your home safe when you’re not inside your home.
Well, if you use these tips correctly, then you’ll be able to stop many bad things happening to your home. While you’re not there. You can replicate these tips to make sure no one ever breaks into your house or even tries it.
#12 The Phone Trick. When you go out, you likely leave your landline to go to voicemail. But of course, if someone calls it, it’s still going to ring even if you’re not there. That’s why you should always turn your phone’s volume down before you go out. But why is this? It’s all to do with a trick many burglars are now using. What they do is they call your home phone and can get this from many public records which list your interest and your home phone number, then wait, hear the phone ringing and then when no one answers, they’ll know
that no one’s home and they break-in.
However, if you mute the sound or lower it when you’re not in, this will confuse a burglar. That’s because when they call your phone, they won’t hear any sound. They may think that maybe you picked up the phone and then put it back down or they may think something else. The point is, they’ll be baffled and may not want to break in.
Many burglars want to limit their risk. So they may just move on if they don’t hear the phone ring. Otherwise, they may think you’re still in even if you don’t pick up the phone. So make sure to lower your phone’s volume or muted next time you go out.
#11. Hiding your valuables. So you may think this is very obvious and you likely do it when you leave your home. But there are some ways to protect valuables that no one’s ever seen before. If you have expensive jewelry and you’ll be out of your house for a long time, you could wrap it up in a clean diaper. No burglar is going to risk opening up a diaper so personal your valuables in there and then wrap it up, putting it somewhere safe.
Another thing you could do is clear out a jar of rice and then put your valuables in there. Burglars won’t search through all your food, which, most of the time, keeps your valuables safe.
Another thing you could do is, make a hole in a bar of soap or a sponge, and then put your money and valuables inside it.
Burglars trying to get in and out of your house as quick as possible. And they’re also trying not to leave lots of fingerprints everywhere. This is a great way to hide valuables without getting to them.
If you didn’t want to do those super sneaky things, you could just do the basic things, such as not leaving out watches and jewelry on your countertops. Just doing something simple like putting it in a drawer or under your bed could be the difference between it being stolen and not stolen.
#10 Make property care as evident as possible. If you’re a homeowner, the worst thing you could do is let a bird living no one’s around. If a burglar thinks no one lives in a house, they may break in see what they can salvage. Doing something simple like raking leaves in the autumn show someone’s home. If you mow the lawn in the summer. This also shows you’re very attentive and you’re at home. Then if you clear out snow in the winter, This also means that your home and burglars will know it.
If a house looks very derelict and the lawns have grown a lot, then this means burglars may think you’re on vacation or the home has been abandoned. If people think your home is abandoned, they may try and support their thinking no one else lives there. So take care of your property and its surroundings not only to make your neighborhood look nice but also to stop burglars.
#9 Be smart about throwing out expensive boxes. Sometimes we like to treat ourselves and buy something valuable. Maybe it’s a new iPhone or perhaps a new TV. Well, while that is all very exciting. One thing we cannot forget about is the boxes. Most people either throw their boxes away or put them in the recycling. Make sure you’re not too obvious about disposing of your expensive boxes. For example, if you’ve just bought a TV, don’t put its box out for the trash man to collect. Instead, try and turn the box inside out or cut it up into small pieces.
If it isn’t cut up bad, otherwise people will know that you have costly items in your home, which are brand new. Putting out the boxes for new things you’ve just bought is like showing the world exactly what you own. That’s never a good idea and can inspire some criminals to break in. Did you know that 40% of all burglaries are impulsive? That means the person did not plan it, and they simply walked past and saw the opportunity. So make sure you keep your boxes of expensive products you bought out of sight.
#8 Saying goodbye while leaving your home. If you were the last person to leave your house and you shout goodbye, you’re probably going to look pretty crazy, but not offer to explain why you should do this. Imagine you’re leaving home for a while and then out from the street. You see some strange people maybe you don’t want these people to break into your house as they could be waiting for you to leave. All you need to do is act like there’s someone else in the house, you’re saying goodbye to before you shut and lock your door. Simply shout “Goodbye. See you later.” The people will then assume that someone else is in the house as you’ve just said goodbye to them. You can even turn around and wave at your home is if someone was looking out the window with you. Anyone outside your house will then assume someone else is in the house, and you’ve just said goodbye to them. And of course, they’re not going to break into a home while there’s someone else inside. So this one cookie tip could be the difference between you getting burgled or not.
#7 Simple signage poses a threat to burglars. If you pass a classy building like a jewelry store, there’ll be many security signs. They don’t do that for no reason. What they’re doing is using thieves’ fears against them. A simple sign saying you’re protected could make thieves not want to target your house, you could put up a sign saying that you’re covered by a security firm or maybe put up a sign saying: “Warning! Dangerous dog inside.” Even if you don’t actually have a dog, the burglar won’t want to risk going the small amount of stress, so if there’s a scary dog behind the door, or at least they think so they won’t target you just a straightforward sign will make burglars think twice before burgling you.
#6 Window foliage has advantages. There’s something to think about with your own home. Think of your ground floor windows. Is there anything underneath? If there’s nothing underneath them, then this could mean your house is not safe. Many burglars use windows to break into a home. They’ll either use a crowbar, to break into them or, they’ll smash the glass. But if there’s something underneath your windows, then this will make burglars think twice before breaking in. This could be something as simple as a rosebush, in the way of the window. This way, they can’t stand underneath it and see what’s going on inside. And they also won’t be able to climb in through that window as there’s something in the way. So make sure you add some foliage in front of your windows to protect your home.
#5 Set up wifi-enabled CCTVs that comes with an app. So many people have security cameras outside their homes. This can be good, but the one downside to this is that it costs a lot of money. Not only do you have to have the surveillance system installed, but you also need a bunch of cameras. This can sometimes cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. But if you’re in a budget and still want to protect your home, don’t worry, you can get one for around $20-30. Some cameras are now wi-fi enabled, which comes with an app.
Most of the time, a thief seeing a security camera means they won’t want to break in, seeing as the primary way burglars get caught by security cameras. This means many of them can’t tell good houses that have so if you’re in a budget, put up a fake security camera and a security camera sign and prepared never to be burgled.
#4 Open your curtains. It may be counter-intuitive but this is a super simple thing to do before you leave your house each day. If you’re not going to be at home for a few days or if you go out to work one day, make sure your curtains are open. Burglars often drive around roads making notes on houses every day. And if you’ve had your curtains closed for a few days in a row, that means nobody’s home. Most people don’t live in the dark without any curtains open. So make sure before you leave your home, you open up all the curtains. This gives the illusion that you are home and can be great if you’re going on a trip for a few days, and no one will be in. Next up is a fake burglar alarm.
#3 Install a basic burglar alarm. So we’ve already covered fixed security cameras. Of course, the number one way, according to the police, to prevent burglaries is to get a burglar alarm. But sometimes these can cost a lot of money, they cost money to install, and then you need to pay a company to maintain it every year. Not everyone has that money. But what everyone does have money for. It’s a noisy, motion-sensor burglar alarm. It’s just a box that burglars will watch out for and they wouldn’t want to risk breaking in. It also doesn’t hurt to put up a few signs and stickers saying that you have a burglar alarm.
#2 Phone scams. If you get a call on your cell phone and a question comes up asking, if you’re at home right now, then do not answer anything. It’s just part of their surveys to know whether you can sit down and answer their questions first.
It could actually be a front for a burglar trying to say if you’re a homeowner. Some people will even call up for a survey saying how many people live with you. But it’s not really a survey, it’s actually to see how many people live with you at home to know when everyone’s out. This is a very modern method thieves use to break into homes nowadays. Instances of this have happened in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Russia. So be careful. It’s much better to say: “Now’s not a good time.” and then hang up the phone if you’re suspicious.
#1 Install window grills. We’ve already covered how you should put a bush or some foliage underneath your windows. Finally, window grills will prevent anyone from smashing your windows or breaking into it. However, many people make a mistake with buying window drills without any security features. Instead, you should buy ones with a lock so that you can open them up in the event you need an escape route. Let’s say your house catches on fire, and you need to escape using the window. It’s much better if you can actually unlock it.
Instead of being trapped inside your home, so for ultimate safety and home protection, buy one with a lock.
That was the ultimate guide to protect your home from burglars. Leave a comment below if you’ve got other hacks in preventing home invasions or share your tips on home safety.
Virginia Hoff is a former police officer with over 20 years experience, and currently acts as the Senior Security Writer for Be-Safe.org.
Her expertise include Home Security and Family Protection.
