20 Tips To Burglar Proof Your Home

If your home has ever been burglarized, you know that awful feeling you get in the pit of your stomach. You feel violated that someone has come into your home and gone through your personal space.

Here are 20 tips on safe proofing your home from burglars

1. Flyers and Junk Mail
If you’re not going to be home for a long period of time, have someone pick up your junk mail such as flyers from your doorstep. You can also stop newspaper delivery until you’re back home.

2. Hiding Extra Key Outside
We’ve all heard of this one, but don’t hide an extra key to your house under a door mat. Leave a key with a trusted neighbor, friend or family member.

3. Use Timers
Use indoor timers for your lights to turn on and turn off at the set times. Put a couple in the bedrooms so your home looks normal and lived in.

4. House Sitter
Have a house sitter look after your home if you’re away on vacation or have someone drop by your home each day to open and close the blinds and make sure everything is fine at the house.

5. Extra Window/Door Security
Use extra security on your windows and doors. You can use a metal rod or a hockey stick in the sliding door track or sliding windows. Don’t forget to secure all pet entrances.

6. Occupy Parking Space
Again, if you’re away on holidays, allow someone to park their car at the front of your house or at the back of your house.

7. Sensor Lights
Sensor lights are better than leaving an outdoor light all night long. Make sure you have one installed in an area where it may be easy for a burglar to go undetected. Brightening up the dark areas will prevent a burglar from using it as a hiding spot.

8. Outdoor Maintenance
Trim your hedges and mow your lawn before going on vacation. If you’re going to be away for a long time, consider having someone come and maintain your lawn care.

9. Radio or TV
Leave a radio or TV on. You may want someone to come by and turn them off or you can use timers.

10. Garbage/Recycling
Make sure someone can retrieve your garbage and recycling bins.

11. Big Item Boxes
Don’t advertise to everyone by breaking down your widescreen TV box. Instead, you can cut it apart into smaller pieces or use it to store your kids’ winter clothes.

12. Alarm System
If you don’t have an alarm system, you can opt to buy warning stickers for your windows and doors or motion sensors to make it appear your home is protected with a security system.

13. Phone Volume
Turn down your ringer so no one can hear your phone ringing off the hook.

14. Voice Messages
Make sure your voicemail box isn’t full.

15. Social Media
Avoid announcing on social media sites you’re going on vacation. If you do by accident, make sure you say you have someone staying at your home.

16. Photo Sharing
Wait until you get home from vacation to share your photos online.

17. Home Insurance
Make sure your home insurance doesn’t expire while you’re on vacation.

18. Property Protection
Write down the serial numbers of your valuables like TV, PVR, computer, and so forth. You can use an engraver to mark your items. Make a copy of the list and give it to another family member who doesn’t live with you.

19. Video Tape
Video tape each room in your home that contains valuable items or take some photos with you or someone in your family with the items.

20. Break-in Tools
Leave tools such as ladders, crow bar, ax, etc. in the house instead of an outdoor shed.

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