Burglary Prevention Tips for Your Home
‘Tis the season and for many of us, that means plenty of time away from home merry making at holiday gatherings or heading out of town to be with family and friends. And as the movie Home Alone so famously taught us, it can be a great time for burglars to make their mark.
Burglary facts
First off, let’s start with some interesting facts about burglary to guide your plan of attack:
~ Most burglars strike during the daytime
~ 1/3 of burglars enter from the basement
~ 1/3 of burglars force entry through a window or door
~ 1/3 of burglars gain access from an unlocked door or window
Burglary prevention tips
So apart from the obvious “lock your windows and doors”, let’s go over some other tips to help make your home less attractive and lessen the chance of a robbery and resultant home insurance claim:
– Keep curtains and blinds closed at night or while you’re away so that thieves can’t peek in to scope out your belongings.
– Get an alarm system, but don’t rely on it exclusively. It should be your last line of defense and you should still follow burglary prevention best practices.
– If you’re going away for a short period, leave some lights on to make the house look occupied. For longer absences, using timers for lights is a great way to make your home look occupied. You can include your Christmas lights too!
– Keep any valuables locked away (like in a security box) and put them somewhere that isn’t obvious like the cliched jewelry box on your bedroom dresser.
– Make sure that there is good visibility around your home, such as making sure that shrubbery and bushes aren’t blocking doors and windows or installing motion sensored outdoor lights.
– Consider a “Beware of Dog” sign, whether you have a dog or not. This alone can be a deterrent. Who’s to know that Fluffy is more likely to lick someone silly than truly pose a threat? 😉
– Have basement windows? This is one of the most popular access points for burglars so consider security bars.
– Consider your exterior doors. They should be as secure as possible. Think deadbolts, hinges that don’t have center pins that can be easily removed or tampered with and solid, not hollow, makeup (metal is the best!)
Are you a visual person? You can also check out this infographic with tips from the York Regional Police.
Are you planning on going away either to spend Christmas out of town, or perhaps heading someone warm this winter? Then be sure to check out our tips for keeping your home safe while you are on holidays (we are talking about summer vacations but the same suggestions apply any time of year, minus the lawn tip of course 🙂 ).
Have any questions about robberies and home insurance? Time for a new policy for your house and property? Get in touch with us today or click here to start your online quote.
Image courtesy of freedooom at FreeDigitalPhotos.net