Don’t be a victim of a burglary or home invasion. The following tips will help you protect your house, whether you’re at home or away.

1 – Secure Your Doors

Doors are the entry point of your home, and are often the first target of a burglar. To prevent unwanted visitors, always keep your doors locked—even when you’re at home. Install peepholes, deadbolts and security chains on your doors for added protection.

Multiple locking mechanisms make it more difficult for an intruder to kick the door open. Hinge bolts also provide an extra degree of security.

An often-overlooked way of securing your doors is asking for the identity of anyone that knocks or rings the doorbell. Instead of smashing their way in, some attackers will simply be polite and wait for the door to open for them.

2 – Protect Your Windows

Windows are particularly vulnerable to burglars. In the summer months, many people like to open their windows to get some fresh air in the house. However, these open windows are an easy target for intruders. To prevent your house from unwanted attention, always keep your windows closed and latched. Keep items of value out of sight.

Install windows that are made of reinforced glass, polycarbonate or Plexiglas. These materials are much more durable and more difficult to break than traditional glass windows and provide your home with additional security. You can also install bars on your windows or use hurricane shutters to deter burglars.

3 – Install Security and Monitoring Systems

There are many excellent systems available today that can greatly add to your home’s security. Security systems can alert you if a door or window is opened. The presence of a security system is sufficient to deter most criminals. You can also install motion sensors and security cameras to monitor your property.

Investigate monitoring systems that operate wirelessly and allow you to view footage from your home security camera remotely. Some may even allow you to control the locks and various appliances from your phone or tablet.

4 – Get a Dog

Dogs are great at alerting their owners about a person’s presence on the property. A dog’s bark can also make a would-be burglar think twice about attempting to enter your home. A trained guard dog can also defend your home should an intruder make it inside.

It’s not always easy to train a dog to be comfortable with visitors, but also guard against trespassers. You may need to enlist the help of an animal behaviorist to help this aspect of training.

5 – Use Lighting to Your Advantage

Many burglars do their dirty work under the cover of night to reduce their chances of being seen. Use lighting to your advantage. Make sure you have functioning lights that illuminate your property, especially around potential points of entry. Keep lights on inside your home, even when you’re away. Consider using timing devices to give the appearance that someone is at home. A well-lit home will make a criminal think twice before attempting a burglary.

How would you break into your house? It might seem like a strange question, but it’s the best way to start the process of protecting your home from unwanted visitors.

Check out some other preventive measures below for protecting your home.

Alarms
You can find low cost options that are effective. Something as simple as Christmas bells placed over a door can be enough to scare someone away. It also lets you know if someone is entering the home if you’re there.

Lock it Up!
People are watching when you don’t realize it. If someone enters the home without unlocking the door, a would-be criminal might be taking note of it to return later to rob the place. Same goes for windows around the home. If you need to, double check.

A member of the household may inadvertently forget to lock a window —  or purposely do it for easy access later on in case he or she gets locked out of the home. To further prevent your home being a target, install some safety glass film to deter intruders from breaking inside. This film helps keep glass together and takes much longer breaking through it.

Install Fake Cameras
A real camera system can cost hundreds or thousands. Criminals don’t want to be caught on camera and this will provide a safety net to prevent you from being a target in most cases.

Lighting
Check around the exterior of your home for possible blind spots or areas an intruder might hide easily. Install small detector lights if you can in those spots.

Do the same for inside. Buy a timer that automatically turns on lights at a certain time when it gets dark.

Make Training a Family Affair
Assure that everyone knows the protocol. Each member of the household must be on the same page about locking doors, windows, and securing the property before leaving.

Camouflage Your Keys
Don’t hide an extra key under the door mat. Find a unique spot to help trigger your memory and fool an intruder.

Keep the spare keys away from the obvious spots near the door. Make the location one that you might go to naturally. Change the location frequently and don’t tell friends or neighbors about it.

Don’t Brag
Don’t brag about new possessions. There’s no need to make yourself a blatant target because you had an urge to let everyone know you just purchased a new snowmobile or motorcycle.

Be Discreet
Assume that anyone walking or driving by your home is interested in what you own. Even if they aren’t people just can’t resist taking a peek. Keep your windows covered and garage door closed.

You don’t have to be a victim of a home invasion. Here are 5 quick, no nonsense rules to protect your property.

Know Who’s on the Other Side of the Door
If someone knocks on your door and they say that they’re a repairman, maintenance worker, delivery driver, or anyone arriving for business purposes, be sure you have a procedure that you follow. Expect other household members to do the same thing.

Also, let companies that these visitors are from know that unless prior arrangements have been made, that person will not have access to getting inside. On a side note, when interacting with the individuals, don’t hesitate to ask for the identification and keep enough space between you and that person so they cannot reach or grab you.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings
In some cases, shoppers with lots of bags have been followed home. Ensure before you’re entering your house that no one has followed you. Keep an eye on things going on around you, noting any loitering persons near your home.

Be Aware of the Spare
Thinks of other areas to keep a spare home key. Don’t place it under a mat or under a potted plant. Be creative. Try placing it under one of the gutters with a rock shielding it.

Perhaps you can place a spare key near an outdoor shed or by a water faucet. Just find a random designated spot for it other than the ordinary places robbers or intruders often look at first if they’re going to commit a home invasion.

Form an Alliance with the Neighbors
Inform neighbors you trust when you’ll be away for a certain amount of time. Let them know that you’d appreciate them helping watch your home property while you’re gone.

Leave No Trace of Luxury
Any luxury goods you buy that arrive in boxes, cut them up and throw into tied black bags. Branded boxes give away the fact to burglars that some valuable items are within the home, making it a more desirable target.

Follow these basic rules and you’ll take a huge step in protecting yourself, your family, and your property.

We could all probably say, almost down to the exact penny, how much we paid for our most valued possessions. The ATV in the garage, the flat screen T.V., and the leather couch, we know just how much they are worth. There is no way you can place a monetary value on the loved ones that you live with. It’s possible to say There is no amount, no number that pops up on the cash register, and no receipt for them.

 

What Really Matters in a Survival Scenario?
Possessions are meaningful, certainly. We hold our technological gadgets and our precious items very close to the heart. If survival is on the line, the value that some things hold can change in the blink of an eye.

  • A jug of water can suddenly be worth more than the television you once desperately wanted. Think about what you can replace easily, and what can never be replaced. In an emergency, our loved ones and our basic needs are our most valued possessions.
  • Is that couch or television worth more than you support network, your cache of canned food or your first-aid kit? Think about it and be ready to choose.

 

Reasons Why Your Neighbor May Present a Risk
Survival for many people means taking the possessions that others hold so dear, even if it’s done by violent force and intimidation. A determined home invader will stop at nothing to find what they want, and they do not care for your family as you do.

  • To an invader bent on their own survival, your loved one is just another barrier between them and what they need. They will look for the fastest way to get what they want and get out.
  • Invaders are always under the influence of greed, need, drugs, fear, or usually a combination of all. The best defense for such an invasion is a practiced plan and calm, quick decision making.
  • When survival is at risk, do not underestimate the desire of some neighbors, relatives, or friends. Many home invasions are actually the work of friends and family because they know about the window you keep open or about where you put that spare key.

 

What Happens When the Plan is in Action
A desperate person makes hasty and poorly planned choices. Make a plan with your roommates or family so that you won’t be desperate in survival situations. Every home and family will have their own plans and needs, but consider a few strategies for plan formation.

  • Create a codeword or phrase with your loved ones so that when a threat is present you won’t need to explain yourself. When time is short, one quick word can do much more than trying to explain exactly what is happening.
  • In addition to the codeword, every person should have a role and a place to go. Keeping things simple for each person will reduce the amount of movement and confusion in the situation.

 

Remaining Calm in Emergencies
The life and healthy survival of you and your loved ones is priceless. Don’t fall into the trap of tranquility. When an emergency strikes the best way to react is by fulfilling your role in the plan that has been created and practiced previously. If your family or roommates are doing the same, you know that they are safe and you can execute your role with confidence. You’ll need to abandon the value system that you’ve spent your life with, understanding that any material possessions can be replaced. People, however, cannot be. If your survival is in danger, things like food, water and medical supplies are more important than any other items. Cool heads prevail in emergency situations.