With the number of home invasion burglaries on the rise, home owners often find themselves looking for new ways to protect their homes. While shopping for home security systems may seem like the best way to protect homes, sometimes home owners can take a few extra steps to ensure their homes are kept safe from the criminal element. B.A.I. your local expert in Yardley home security systems suggests the following to help protect your homes:
1. Do not leave a spare key outside in a place that seems easy for you to find. We have all been locked out of our home at some point, and we all know that desperate feeling of needing to be back inside right away, but what seems safe and only obvious to us, may also be obvious to burglars. Every mailbox, flower pot, doormat, light fixture, or any other outer part of your home’s decor gives a burglar an obvious place to look.
2. Burglars tend to strike when a home appears to be unoccupied. Setting timers for your lights at night will help add to the illusion that you are home. Burglars will see the lights on and move right past your home, as they believe that you are there. When shopping for home security systems, it may be helpful to know that some systems allow for you to control your home’s lighting or even appliances from any smartphone, computer, or tablet device.
3. In many neighborhoods, mailboxes and newspaper boxes are located near the street. Some do not have a cover on the end facing the street, making it easier for the postal service or newspaper carrier to deliver without leaving their vehicle. This also makes it easier for burglars to see that you are away, especially when they see a mailbox full of mail or a week’s worth of newspapers left untouched. Ask a friend or neighbor to pick up your mail when you are away. You can even request that the post office hold your mail for the time that you are away.
4. Everyone loves to receive deliveries of items they have purchased online or from the television shopping channels. However, when ordering these items, you should keep in mind the length of time needed to ship and receive. Untouched FedEx or UPS items outside of your home will also tip off burglars that you are away.
5. It is also a good idea not to leave any expensive items near your windows, especially since windows will be the first place most burglars will look. If you have drapes covering your windows, leaving them closed will cut off a burglar’s sight inside your home.
6. When placing the boxes from expensive items you have purchased at the curb for recycling, be sure to break them down flat. An empty box from a 60 inch TV left sitting upright at the curb just calls unneeded attention to the value of items in your home.
7. Double check doors and windows before you leave your home to make sure they are locked. Even if you feel you live in the safest neighborhood, locks can be the first line of defense for keeping your home safe.
8. Look into installing a home security system. Some systems may have the ability to call the authorities at the first sign of break in, and some may even sound an alarm. Burglars will not like being taken by surprise.
