12 Ways to Protect Your Home While You’re Away

1. Protect your home while you're away: Simple tips to enhance your home security.
2. Hide valuable belongings: Prevent thieves from easily spotting cash or electronics.
3. Be cautious with service workers: Always research companies before they come over.
4. Secure your windows: Reinforcing window security can deter burglars.
5. Use signs to deter thieves: Simple signs can scare off potential intruders.

12 ways to protect your home while you're away.
According to FBI statistics, around 1.5 million burglaries took place in the US alone in 2017. But is there a way to protect your home from burglars?

If you can't afford an expensive security system, there are simple yet effective tips that will make your home your fortress and even discourage thieves from breaking into your property.

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On the bright side:

1. Hide valuable belongings while strangers are in your home.
   While a plumber is fixing something under your sink, they have enough time to have a look around. They can turn out to be bad guys who inform their accomplices.

Since most burglars aim for cash, jewelry, and electronics, leaving any of these items out makes it too easy and appealing for them to snatch them immediately. Of course, this doesn't mean that all plumbers and other workers are burglars, but you should always be careful.

There are so many companies on the market these days offering house maintenance services, and some of those great online deals could turn out to be a hoax. It never hurts to get acquainted with a company’s reviews before calling an electrician or plumber. You can also get recommendations from friends and family.

11. Don’t let a thief hear your phone ringing.
Some thieves get creative and use a landline phone trick where they call your home phone and wait for an answer. If no one picks up the phone, it means that nobody's home. If you mute or lower the sound, you'll confuse a potential burglar since they won't hear any sound.

10. Install a reliable lock.
According to FBI data, it takes burglars between 90 seconds and 12 minutes to break into a home. 34% of cases in the US saw entry gained through the front door. The locks most at risk of lock snapping are cylinder ones. The most complicated locks are those that can be opened with lever keys.

It’s a good idea to lock your door with a pin tumbler and lever key since this combination is the most reliable. To ensure your house has the maximum protection, get a Grade one or Grade two heavy-duty deadbolt lock. It's called dead because it doesn't have any springs in it.

Never label your keys as this makes it much easier for burglars to find and break into your home if you lose them. Also, thieves know all too well about your top secret hiding spots for keys under doormats or among fake rocks, to name a few.

Instead, leave your spare key with a neighbor or someone else you trust. If you are looking for a fancier solution, install a smart lock that can be controlled from your smartphone. It could be a supplement to your deadbolt that will keep track and inform you of any front door activity. You can email access keys to close friends and control the door remotely while you’re away.

9. Protect your windows.
Another popular way to enter a property is through first-floor windows. FBI reports show that around 23% of burglars in the US choose this way of entering homes. That’s why you should consider installing grills if you live on the first or second floor.

Don't forget that you should have an escape route in case of an emergency, so buy grills that can be unlocked. If grills don't sound like a desirable means of protection to you, reinforce the windows themselves. Use protective film, security screens, or shatterproof glass.

8. Take care of the territory surrounding your property.
Do you know what burglars are looking for? Abandoned homes that no one will care about in the event of a break-in. If you have a house, don't let burglars think that no one lives there.

Take care of the lawn in the summer and keep the path clean in winter. Trim the shrubbery around the entrance to rob criminals of a hiding spot by your front door. It will make thieves think twice before attempting to get in.

Make it easy for the police to identify your house. Put a large reflective number on your house and mailbox. Burglars like to get into dark houses to win some extra moments to get out. Again, I'm talking about those few extra seconds the police will take to find your house, and those seconds will count.

Finally, walk around your neighborhood to see if it has any graffiti or trash. You can organize a cleanup with your neighbors or ask the public works department for help to make it a better place. Not only will this make the area more beautiful, but it will send an important message to criminals.

They'll know that the people who live in the area care about it and each other and that neighbors are unlikely to stay quiet if someone tries to rob the house next to them.

7. Use thieves' fears against them.
Thieves are scared of being caught. A simple but extremely effective way of scaring them off is putting out a sign that says "Protected Property". This trick will make burglars think twice before breaking in.

6. Dispose of boxes for expensive items correctly.
If you’re throwing away a box from a new TV or refrigerator, you’re likely to attract potential burglars who will want to steal your new item. To avoid trouble, tear the box apart before throwing it away.

5. Pretend.
Imagine you’re leaving your home for a while. You're already in the street and you suddenly notice a strange person. They might be waiting for you to leave so they can break in. Don't be shy. Turn around and wave your hand as if someone stayed at home.

4. Check your locks.
If you notice scratches on your lock, it might mean that burglars have tried to open it. Before you open the door and enter your home, check your locks so you can react quickly if there is an emergency.

3. Let sunlight in.
If windows are curtained for a few days in a row, it can indicate that nobody's home as there aren’t that many people who like to live without sunlight. When you leave your property, make sure you don’t completely close your curtains. This will create the illusion that your home.

2. Put plants with abrasive foliage in front of your fence and windows.
To turn an ordinary fence into a barrier, plant something with abrasive foliage like a dog rose or dewberry plant. You can also plant roses right under your windows. All these plants will make a burglar's mission really challenging. Breaking into your house will not only be difficult because of locks or security systems but also be physically painful.

1. Don’t give out any information over the phone.
You should be careful with unfamiliar service companies that call and ask questions about your workplace and hours or about the people who live with you. It’s one of the methods thieves use to find out the history of a property and the most suitable time for breaking in.

According to research statistics from Jacksonville State University, most burglars choose to break into homes between 10 am and 3 pm when most people are supposed to be away at work.

Do you use any tricks against burglars? Share your experience with us in the comments. Remember, give this video a like, share it with your friends, and click subscribe to stay on the bright side of life.