Nobody wants to be the victim of a home invasion. But every few seconds, a home in the United States is burglarized. Most homes aren’t deliberately staked out, instead a burglar finds a home conveniently unguarded or an easy target for another reason.
There are several bad habits that some homeowners have that puts them at risk for a break in. Bostons Locksmith, your emergency locksmith in South End, offers you some of the mistakes to avoid to keep your home more secure.
Lock Up
This might seem obvious, but many burglaries occur when someone enters your home through an open door or window. Many people take off to run errands or have dinner and fail to ensure all the doors and windows are locked. You might think that it is safe to leave a window unlocked and open as you are only to be gone a short period of time.
The typical robbery takes about 15 minutes, which means even if you are just running out to grab a burger and fries and a drive-thru, that is plenty of time for your home to be burglarized.
Pick It Up
What is lying around in your yard? You probably have a garden hose out there, some kid’s toys and bikes, a couple of rakes and a ladder.
Wait.
Do you see the problem?
It would be pretty easy to access the open window on the second floor of your home with a ladder. Most burglars know that people rarely keep second story windows locked and leaving a ladder in the yard is basically an open invitation for a burglary.
Hidden Keys
It is hard to believe that so many people do this. Hiding a house key in your yard is just not a good idea. And if you think you have found the perfect spot that nobody will find, think again.
Those fake rocks never work because every burglar knows about them. In fact, a good burglar knows every hiding place in your yard, they are that good.
Keep It To Yourself
It’s one thing to tell your friends and neighbors when you are leaving on vacation, but you should keep it off of social media. Posting about your extended leave on Facebook is advertising to burglars that your home is a sitting duck.
It is just as bad to be posting all of your meals and adventures while you are on vacation. Wait until you get back home to boast about your vacation on Facebook.
Out of Sight
You are proud to own a Rolex, but don’t let everybody know you have one by keeping it on the table by the front door when you aren’t wearing it. Your house by be skipped over if a burglar peaks in the window and doesn’t see anything worth stealing. But seeing a Rolex on the table is certainly tempting.
This holds true on social media as well. When we own something cool, it is human nature to want to show it off. But you should avoid advertising the cool and expensive things you own on social media, you never know who might be watching.
Poor Lighting
A thief will want as little light as possible when sneaking onto your property. The last thing they want is for someone to see them. If you don’t have adequate lighting outside your home, you could be the victim of a break in.
Fake Security Equipment
Dummy cameras worked as a theft deterrent at one point many years ago, but that ship has long sailed. Any experienced burglar will immediately know if a security system is the real deal or fake. And if it is fake, you could be the victim of a burglary.
It is an investment to buy a real security system, but well worth the money.
Stop the Mail
To discover who is on vacation, all a burglar has to do is check mailboxes and front porches. If there is mail piled up in the mailbox or newspapers gathering on the porch, that is a dead giveaway that someone is on vacation.
At the very least, you should have a friend or neighbor grab your newspaper and mail every day while you are gone.
Relying on Your Dog
Don’t get us wrong, a dog is a great theft deterrent, but don’t rely too heavily on a dog for security. So even if you have the meanest dog in the neighborhood, you still need to lock your doors and windows and practice smart home security.
Cheap Locks
Many burglars know how to get through standards locks, some quite easily. You may have got a great deal on the locks you bought at Walmart, but they are of little use if thieves can easily bypass them.
There are heavy duty locks available that will keep your home secure. Call Bostons Locksmith and we can help.
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