While the image of a sneaky figure all in a black ski cap, quietly creeping around a house perimeter in search of an open window, is so common as to have become a trope, the fact is that most home invasions occur during the day.
Surprisingly, most burglaries actually spike during the summer months, and about 34% occur through the front door, rather than windows or side entries. In a way, it makes sense. Most people are out of the home during the daytime hours, whether at work, school, or simply running errands; making the hours between 10am and 3pm the prime period for planning and carrying out a home invasion.
Additionally, using the front door during the daytime contributes to a sense of belonging--sure, neighbors might see a stranger coming and going, but the sheer audacity of pretending to be on official business makes it seem like they’ve got a legitimate reason to be there.
In any case, it’s important to take the requisite precautions at any hour to prevent a home invasion and make a home less potentially attractive to a thief.
It’s also important to be aware that one home burglary in a neighborhood doesn’t mean you’re home free. On the contrary, it may make a second or third property invasion even more likely, as thieves can take advantage of similar floor layouts and common structural vulnerabilities.
Secure the Outside
The first and most important aspect to think about in order to prevent a home invasion is the outside of the property.
A simple thing to do is to take a careful walk around the home, making sure to spot any potential weaknesses. If you can tell that a certain window is likely to pry open with a little wiggling, chances are that a thief will be able to tell as well.
While you’re walking around, take not of any electronics or expensive items that are visible. These might be just the enticement a burglar needs to attempt a home invasion. The same also goes for any bicycles, grills, and toys left around in the garden or yard.
1. How does your garden grow?
The more unkempt your yard, shrubbery, and trees; the more hiding places for a thief.
If a yard is left untended for a long amount of time (due to a vacation, for instance), it can also be a sign that the homeowners are away. Conversely, planting thorny bushes around windows can be an extra deterrent.
2. Good fences make good neighbors.
If you don’t have one already, building a fence can be discouraging for thieves. Fences should always be built into a cement base for stability, and open chain-link or ornamental metal styles are preferable to solid models, as the latter can provide easier footholds and even an extra hiding place.
3. Away from prying eyes
Garages and basement windows are usually areas that don’t need as much light as other parts of the house, so it might be a good idea to invest in some cover, to keep your outdoor valuables safe and out of view.
4. "Not even the devil can so sharp eyes have as neighbors."
Heinrich Böll couldn’t have said it better. Getting to know your neighbors can make a significant difference in not only your own safety but in the neighborhood’s overall security.
Good neighbors, with a well-developed sense of community, can help each other keep an eye out for strangers or suspicious movements. Consider joining or starting a neighborhood watch program, and talk to your neighborhood association about increasing lighting and cleaning up graffiti or litter, if these are an issue where you live.
Good relationships can go a long way beyond borrowing the proverbial cup of sugar.
5. X marks the spot.
Speaking of the outside, installing some large, reflective house numbers on your door or mailbox can make your home easier to identify by emergency personnel, and as an added bonus, delivery people.
Secure the house
6. Under lock and key
Keeping all doors and windows closed and locked is an easy step that can help prevent a home invasion.
Thieves can easily spot weak locks, so make sure to install deadbolts on exterior doors, vertical bolts and a metal or wooden rod in the track of sliding doors, and strong, updated window locks. Always remember the door that’s attached to the garage, as this is frequently left unlocked, thereby providing easy access to the home.
On this note, always remember to change the locks when moving into a new place, since there’s no way to know for sure if all copies of the previous locks are accounted for.
7. The keys to the kingdom
On the subject of locks and keys, (and neighborly relations), we strongly discourage hiding spare keys around the house, even in those much-vaunted hide-a-key rocks.
Thieves watch infomercials too, you know, and have learned to look under mats, in flowerpots, the doghouse, and in magnetized lock boxes under your car. Instead of hiding a key, ask a trusted neighbor or friend to keep a copy, just in case.
By the way, labeling keys isn’t a good idea, either. If you lose your keychain, whoever finds it knows exactly which key opens what.
8. Consider a home security system.
Though a home security system can be a large investment, it’s been shown that cameras and alarms can prove a powerful deterrent to burglars.
Now, we know this can be a daunting task, considering the multitude of options available on the market. However, some careful, thorough research can make narrowing down your choices a lot easier.
Regardless of the specific system you decide to purchase, home security is only as good as the use it’s put to. In other words, if you constantly forget to set the alarm, or place the control panel within easy view of the outside, a persistent thief can enter the home relatively easily.
9. The jewel in the crown
Even if you have a security system, a lockbox or safe can offer an extra layer of protection against home invasion.
After all, most thieves target small, easy to transport items like jewelry...and you don’t want to be the cause of losing Great-Great-Aunt Edna’s heirloom brooch that once belonged to Mata Hari.
If your safe is small, make sure to bolt it down to the floor, so it can’t be easily transported. While we’re mentioning jewelry and small valuables, don’t think that hiding those anniversary earrings or cufflinks in a spare pair of socks is going to offer much protection.
Burglars are wise to these stratagems and will look literally everywhere (including the oven, freezer, fish and toilet tanks, cereal boxes, and of course, bookshelves).
The best way to prevent a home invasion is to think like a burglar, and act accordingly. Often, a thief casing your property will pose as someone with a legitimate reason to be there, such as a salesman.
They usually live nearby, making it easier to learn your family’s movements and patterns. With the average property loss for a burglary falling around $2,000, preventing a home invasion by following even just some of the simple steps outlined above can make a substantial difference in your finances, not to mention your sense of security.