You don’t have to be wealthy to have a superbly protected home. You just need to have some common sense.
- Keep your doors locked overnight! Smoke blows through my ears and nostrils every time I read about someone “entering through an unlocked door” in the middle of the night and committing a sicko crime. This goes for windows, too. Rapists love to enter through unlocked windows. If you’re a big male bruiser with no children, and these things don’t scare you, then consider that you could still be up against a burglar with a gun to your head as you’re counting sheep.
- Keep doors and windows locked during the daytime when you’re home, too. Not all intruders operate in the dead of night.
- Keep the garage locked: always.
- Though some locks cost a lot more than others, we’re talking about door locks, not cars. If you want a $60 lock badly enough, this money will come out of the woodwork.
- Make your home looked lived in at all times. The BeOn smart lighting home security system is affordable and doesn’t have the month to month monitoring costs.
- Always keep the alarm on. A deranged sociopath doesn’t care if you’re home and it’s 2:00 in the afternoon when he needs money for his next drug fix.
- Make sure that your valuables are not visible through any windows.
- Never hide keys near doors because burglars will find them. Go keyless entry or leave keys with a neighbor.
- When you’re out, leave a TV on so that its flickering light makes your house look occupied. Use automatic timed lighting devices.
- Never announce on social media your travel plans.
- Always break down the boxes that expensive items came in before leaving them curbside for trash pickup.
- Put a vacation stop on your mail and newspaper delivery when you travel if you don’t have a trusted neighbor who can collect them for you.
- You won’t appear to be on vacation if a neighbor uses your driveway to park their car.
