Breaking and entering a common occurrences nowadays. With more than 2.5 million burglaries in the US alone, there’s a good chance you might be a victim of one.
However, thanks to modern surveillance and home security equipment, securing your home has never been easier. And you don’t have to spend a bucket-load of money when doing so.
To help you improve the security of your home, we’ve done some thorough research in determining which measures you can take to keep burglars at bay. Let’s take a look!
1. Get a Dog for Security
While they can be a bit silly at times, dogs can also play a huge part in protecting your home. There’s no denying that dogs can be vicious, especially when they feel threatened. So an angry bark or a loud growl may cause burglars to think twice before breaking and entering.
However, you don’t particularly have to get a guard dog. While some dog breeds are preferred for guarding, any dog is capable of producing enough noise to deter burglars. (1)
Dogs are like a walking alarm system that will also love you unconditionally. A win-win.
2. Extra Lighting Devices
Most break-ins happen when you are not at home, which means burglars target empty houses. So one of the ways to reduce the chance of being targeted is to make your home seem like there’s a presence in it. And there’s no better way than lights.
Good lighting eliminates dark areas. This means intruders have fewer hiding spots while they are breaking in.
Home robbery is a crime of opportunity. And with the impression that somebody is home that may just be enough to prevent such crimes.
You need to create the illusion you are home when you are actually not. The best way is to light up both inside and outside your home.
But having your outdoor lights on all the time isn’t an option, so consider investing in motion-activated lights that turn on once movement is detected. All the more if you will choose the outdoor light that has a motion sensor feature. The sudden burst of light might catch the intruder off guard and potentially scare them off. Also, consider using some of the higher voltage light bulbs. Here’s the list of the best light bulb camera that you can check to help you with your need.
For indoor lighting, smart LEDs are the way to go. These are lights that can be controlled remotely, or even better, they can be set on a timer.
These lights are especially useful if you often leave your house unattended for a longer period. With a lighting schedule, it may seem like there’s a presence in the house even if no one has entered the house for days even weeks.
3. Add Security System Signs
When it comes to keeping intruders away from your house without using an alarm, using signs can be enough.
Nothing is stopping you from putting up signs that clearly display you have an alarm system installed even if you don’t. At the end of the day, the intruder doesn’t know that information and it may just be enough to make him think twice.
Using plaques, signs, decals, or even posters of a security camera is enough. But if you want to make it even more believable, consider adding fake security cameras or alarms to go along with the signs.
But beware. Some burglars have plenty of experience and they might just call your bluff. Keep in mind that even though this method is helpful, it’s still not enough to keep the most experienced burglars away.
4. Lock and Secure Windows and Doors
One of the first steps you should take when securing your home without an alarm is re-inforcing your door locks and window locks. Open windows and unlocked doors are burglars’ easiest targets. By not locking your front door and forgetting your window open, your home is just a sitting duck.
It should be your second nature to lock the front door when leaving your home. Double-check doors and windows to make sure everything is locked. This will drastically reduce the risk of your home being targeted.
There are devices out there that can help you keep track of your entryways. Sensors can be installed on doors and locks that will notify you if they are open. This brings us to the next topic.
5. Upgrade Door Locks & Window Locks
Even if you have the best locks in the market, intruders may bring down your door by force. To prevent such an event, make sure your door frames are sturdy and can withstand high pressure. While you are at it, we also recommend upgrading to smart security locks.
Most smart locks use a deadbolt lock. Besides the safety features, you also get a ton of other benefits. You can access your locks remotely, which eliminates the need to risk hiding your key under the doormat.
Moving on to window locks, they are known as the weakest point of entry, and investing to secure them might be something you may want to do. There are a ton of options on the market for window locks, however, a good rule of thumb is to avoid locks made out of plastic.
Also, you might consider switching to keyed window locks. It’s way easier for burglars to break the window and open it from within than climbing through sharp glass particles. Keyed window locks are almost impossible to open without the key itself. (2)
6. Keep Valuables Out of Sight
The list of security measures consists of common-sense practices of not making yourself an available target. If it looks like there’s nothing valuable to steal, what’s the point of robbing?
Try to avoid leaving your bikes out in the open, or any garage equipment like lawnmowers or motorized vehicles you may have laying around.
If you treat yourself with something new, don’t leave the packaging boxes right outside your front door.
Master bedrooms are candy shops for burglars. Often times bedrooms are the place you store your most valuable possessions, so you might want to switch it up a bit.
Don’t leave expensive electronics, jewelry, purses, or any other high-value items around the windows.
7. Keep Vacations Private
Another common practice is to keep low-key about your travel plans. Don’t announce your next holiday. It may be tempting to post a picture while you are relaxing away from your home, but it exposes that you’ve left your home empty. (3)
Although you’d want fewer people to know, informing your neighbors can be a good idea. Have them pick up your mail, since a full mailbox is a clear sign that there’s no presence for a longer period of time.
8. Key Lockbox
Most people have keys scattered around their homes. Whether it’s the garage key, car key or any other keys you might have laying around, exposing them can lead to bigger damage.
To prevent burglary on this scale, consider investing in a combination lockbox to keep your keys safe.
Forget about leaving the spare key for your family members underneath the doormat. Hide-a-key places are predictable and easily found. Avoid using them!
9. Garage Security
Don’t forget about the garage! People dump loads of cash trying to secure their homes, oftentimes forgetting about the garage. The first rule of thumb is to keep your garage opener in the house rather than the car.
Practice locking the interior door connecting the garage from the rest of the house. If someone enters from the garage, a locked door means they’d have a hard time reaching inside your home.
There are also garage smart security upgrades available which you may want to consider investing in.
10. Lockdown Your Wi-Fi Network
We talked about locking down doors and windows, but don’t forget to also lock your Wi-Fi network. Especially if you have smart home security automation. Your Wi-Fi is the gateway to all of the smart home security measures you’ve installed.
We strongly encourage you to talk to your service provider about Wi-Fi security, in the meanwhile here are a few steps you could do o your own:
- Enable WPA2 ( Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption.
- Make sure your firewall is on.
- Use strong passwords and not passwords like “yourpetname123”.
- Enable MAC Filtering
- Secure your wireless router
- Limit DHCP Leases to Your Devices
11. Invest in a Safe
Just in case someone actually penetrates your home security even trying everything, make sure that the most valuable items are well-protected.
A safe is a secure depository for such items. At the end of the day you can’t store everything in a safe, but having your most important documents, jewelry, or other high-value items in a safe might give you peace of mind.
Thieves want to be quick while in your home, so it’s likely they won’t even try to mess with a safe.
For more crime prevention information, you may click here.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, these ways how to secure your home without an alarm gave you a direction for maximizing the safety of your home.
Most are common practices that are picked up as habits so, try to incorporate them into your day-to-day life.
There’s no formula to prevent burglary, however, you can do everything in your power to make it difficult for burglars.
References
(1) dog breeds – https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-dog-breeds-2027892
(2) climbing – https://www.nps.gov/subjects/climbing/types-of-climbing.htm
(3) travel plans – https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Successful-Traveling-Plans