Safe Home Security Tips for Securing The Outside Of Your Home To Prevent Burglary, Robbery, And Thef
When most people consider home security, they tend to think more about the interior of their home than the exterior. However, the exterior of your home is the place to start when considering potential threats like robbery, theft, and burglary. The reason the exterior of your home is important is because many crimes are opportunity-driven, and the way criminals determine the value and risk of committing a crime to your home is from the outside in.
It is important to make your home look uninviting for potential intruders. This will help you reduce your risk of becoming the victim of a home invasion or burglary, which is increasing in many neighborhoods throughout the country. Safe Home Security suggests beginning the process of securing your home by thinking from the street level. When you "childproof" your home, you look at the interior environment from the child's point of view. That's the way you should evaluate your home - from the criminal's point of view. Criminals begin looking for home invasion and burglary targets from the street. A criminal will assess your home from the outside first, then decide whether to investigate it as a potential target or move on to what he or she may consider an easier target.
Here are some proven steps you can take to secure your home to prevent the threat of burglary, robbery, theft, or home invasion:
Eliminate potentially dangerous access points. The first area of focus is your landscaping. Any landscaping that blocks or obscures views or offers easy access for climbing creates opportunities for potential intruders. Drive by your home in your car and look at your home from the street view as though you're a criminal. Think about how easy it would be to access windows and doors. If your yard is fenced with little or no rear view, this could conceal a crime. Look at your home from the outside and think like a burglar. Ask yourself a simple question, "What is the best way to break-in to this home without being caught?" Chances are your answer will match that of a would-be burglar.
Clean up surroundings. If your home looks unkempt, it tells criminals that a potential burglary target is easy. It may tell criminals that you're not home when they see mail or newspapers piled up. This may also tell them that not only is no one home, but no one is watching. Your best defense is to keep your yard mowed and neat. Be sure to suspend mail and newspaper deliveries if you'll be away. Trellises and trees next to your home can make climbing easier for criminals and can greatly increase your risk of a break-in. Ladders can also create risk for you, so be sure to store your ladders in a locked shed or a garage. Don't keep them beside your house. It's too easy for an intruder to grab a chair or a ladder and climb up to that next story window to gain access for a break-in or robbery. Trim or remove overgrown shrubbery that obscures essential views. Keep trees and branches trimmed back from your home to prevent giving climbing access. Choosing thorny bushes such as roses that make it difficult for criminals to climb over to gain access to a window or door. Using noisy materials on walkways and under windows, such as gravel and stone, can also make your home less of a target to criminals. Of course, fences make it more difficult for criminals to get in and out of your yard.
You may want to install external security monitors to your home. Cameras and sensors installed outside can alert you to potential criminal activity if you're home. Be sure to place your alarm company's yard signs in strategic locations around your home. They are a warning sign to burglars that your home is a bad choice for them.
Of course, a professionally installed security system to monitor your home is critical to the security of your home to prevent break-ins. In fact, a recent study by Rutgers University proved that criminals avoid homes with alarms. This study also proved that the more homes with alarms in the neighborhood, the safer the neighborhood.
Safe Home Security advises using as many of the above tips as possible to make your home less of a target for potential intruders and help you enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing your home and family are secure.
It is important to make your home look uninviting for potential intruders. This will help you reduce your risk of becoming the victim of a home invasion or burglary, which is increasing in many neighborhoods throughout the country. Safe Home Security suggests beginning the process of securing your home by thinking from the street level. When you "childproof" your home, you look at the interior environment from the child's point of view. That's the way you should evaluate your home - from the criminal's point of view. Criminals begin looking for home invasion and burglary targets from the street. A criminal will assess your home from the outside first, then decide whether to investigate it as a potential target or move on to what he or she may consider an easier target.
Here are some proven steps you can take to secure your home to prevent the threat of burglary, robbery, theft, or home invasion:
Eliminate potentially dangerous access points. The first area of focus is your landscaping. Any landscaping that blocks or obscures views or offers easy access for climbing creates opportunities for potential intruders. Drive by your home in your car and look at your home from the street view as though you're a criminal. Think about how easy it would be to access windows and doors. If your yard is fenced with little or no rear view, this could conceal a crime. Look at your home from the outside and think like a burglar. Ask yourself a simple question, "What is the best way to break-in to this home without being caught?" Chances are your answer will match that of a would-be burglar.
Clean up surroundings. If your home looks unkempt, it tells criminals that a potential burglary target is easy. It may tell criminals that you're not home when they see mail or newspapers piled up. This may also tell them that not only is no one home, but no one is watching. Your best defense is to keep your yard mowed and neat. Be sure to suspend mail and newspaper deliveries if you'll be away. Trellises and trees next to your home can make climbing easier for criminals and can greatly increase your risk of a break-in. Ladders can also create risk for you, so be sure to store your ladders in a locked shed or a garage. Don't keep them beside your house. It's too easy for an intruder to grab a chair or a ladder and climb up to that next story window to gain access for a break-in or robbery. Trim or remove overgrown shrubbery that obscures essential views. Keep trees and branches trimmed back from your home to prevent giving climbing access. Choosing thorny bushes such as roses that make it difficult for criminals to climb over to gain access to a window or door. Using noisy materials on walkways and under windows, such as gravel and stone, can also make your home less of a target to criminals. Of course, fences make it more difficult for criminals to get in and out of your yard.
You may want to install external security monitors to your home. Cameras and sensors installed outside can alert you to potential criminal activity if you're home. Be sure to place your alarm company's yard signs in strategic locations around your home. They are a warning sign to burglars that your home is a bad choice for them.
Of course, a professionally installed security system to monitor your home is critical to the security of your home to prevent break-ins. In fact, a recent study by Rutgers University proved that criminals avoid homes with alarms. This study also proved that the more homes with alarms in the neighborhood, the safer the neighborhood.
Safe Home Security advises using as many of the above tips as possible to make your home less of a target for potential intruders and help you enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing your home and family are secure.
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