Obviously we want to lock up our homes and keep our possession safe but there are extra things you can do to keep your home safe from bandits, burglars, and anyone looking to cause mischief. Here are 10 simple ways to keep your home safe from burglars.
#1. High-tech doorbell.
These new doorbells by Ring are a great way to keep your home safe and videotape any suspicious behavior. They connect to your phone so you can see who’s at your front door or activity going on in your neighborhood. It also connects with neighbors that have similar devices so you can share if there’s been suspicious activity or a suspicious person, package stealer, or just what’s going on in the neighborhood when you’re not around.
#2. Double-check before leaving the house.
It can be stressful when you’re in a rush to leave on vacation or for the holidays but make sure you have a checklist of things to verify before leaving the house. Go through every door and window in the house making sure they are locked, secure, and if you’re going to be gone for a long period of time, put a stick or board in the tracks of sliding windows and doors.
#3. Know your neighbors.
If you’re planning on being out of town for long periods of time, get to know your neighbors so they can keep an eye on your home when you’re not around. If you trust them and they know you’re gone for several days or even weeks, they’re more likely to pay attention if they see suspicious activity near your home.
#4. Have someone collect the mail.
If you have an open mailbox were people can see if the mail has not been collected, have a friend or neighbor collector mail every couple of days.
#5. Don’t have burglar friendly landscaping.
Bushes and trees close to the house or Windows are prime places for burglars to hide. Once you cut away all of these bushes, you make it a little bit harder for someone to sneak up.
#6. Have motion sensor or timed lights.
Keeping motion sensor lights on backdoors, garages, side entrances, or dark spots in your house is a great way to deter burglars. You can also time the lights when you’re gone for long periods of time so they come on at night and go off in the morning making it look like someone is home.
#7. Pretend like someone’s home.
You don’t necessarily need a cardboard cutout in the window of a person but you can actually buy Fake TV, which throws colored lights up against the walls and mimics the TV being on but uses a lot less electricity.
#8. Turn down or turn off your phone ringer.
Most of us nowadays have cell phones but for those that still have a landline, turn off the phone ringer or turn it down so that it doesn’t just a ring constantly indicating someone’s not home.
#9. Don’t post on social media that you’re gone.
Seriously, just wait until you get back.
#10. Have a security system.
This is the most obvious one, but a security system that you can set and monitor while your home, away, or can be monitored by a professional, is really one of the best ways to protect your home not just from burglars but from fire or natural disasters as well.
We want you to have a safe and protected home and remember, anytime you’re buying or selling real estate around Sunset Beach North Carolina give us a call.