Protecting Your Home from a Burglar

One of the most important things to remember when protecting you home from being burglarized is to make your home standout from the rest. The more you do to your home to protect it from burglars, the more it will standout to burglars as the last home they would like to try to break-in.

First, look at the houses around your neighborhood and see, if any, the things they are trying. Once you complete that step, it's time to do a little more than the next homes. Burglars ride around and target the homes that are easier to break-in. The less the will have to due to break-in, the less chance they will get caught by the local authorities.

Here are a few ideas to help you in your journey to burglar proofing your home:

1.Lighting: Make sure your house always look like someone is home. You do this buy outside motions lights, timed flood lights outdoors, automatic timer on inside lights, and simply keeping a porch light on. Burglars often target homes when residents are away at work, vacation, etc. Make your home look lived in all the time.

2.Burglar Bars: One of the oldest methods around and yet still very effective. They have redesigned the bars on windows and doors so you can get different colors and/or designs so they are more modern looking these days. You shouldn't have the "ghetto" look anymore. Burglar bar doors can withstand hundred of pounds of force before it starts to give in. Even burglars armed with a crow bar have a very hard time to pry open the doors or windows. Remember, if the house next to you have no burglar bars door on its back door and your home has one, guess who home the burglar is going to try first.

3.Alarm systems: Even systems that are not monitored are a good deterrent. Plus, it will alert you when a door or window as been compromised. Wireless alarm systems are my preference because it makes it easy for the average home owner to install it themselves, which, saves you hundreds of dollars. In my opinion, it's a waste of money to pay for monitoring service if your only goal is to alert you of an intruder. The average burglar knows to cut the phone and cable lines before breaking in on a home with a alarm sign in the front yard so now the monitored alarm is no longer monitored. But, if you have an alarm system that is hooked up to the fire alarms, then those are very handy. Not only will you alert you of the fire, but also the local fire department at the same time. There are systems that are monitored wireless, but they are going to charge you a big extra fee for the service.

4.Neighborhood watch: Establishing a neighborhood watch is a great method to fight off home break-ins. Get with your local police department to help your community establish an effective neighborhood watch. The county usually will supply the signs for your community watch program.

5. Big Dog: Man's best friend are great deterrents. They will make a lot of noise and if the breed is aggressive, the will even chase the burglar away. Please, don't get a toy breed and think he or she will do enough to deter a burglar. If anything, they will probably lick them to death :-)

6. Lawn care: Keep your yard free from trash and old newspapers. These are signs that the homeowner may be away on vacation. Have a neighbor pick up your paper for you if you are going away on vacation. I even have my neighbor park his car in my drive way periodically to make it seem like someone may be home. Also, keep your grass cut and brushes trimmed. Burglars feel if you don't care about the appearance of the outside of the home, then you probably don't care if he or she comes in and take your possessions. It's also less likely you will take the time out to burglar proof your home if you don't care about your home appearance.

Good luck!