What Ex-Burglars Have To Say About Preventing Robberies Is Incredible
For obvious reasons, the prospect of a burglar breaking into your home is terrifying to most people. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend all of your time debating which actions are worthwhile. This 45 ex-burglars shared their tips to help people avoid being robbed, thanks to a, particularly helpful Reddit thread.
Keep Quiet About Trips
You can’t just vanish when you’re getting ready to go on vacation, obviously. There are some people you must inform, if for no other reason than safety. However, there is a difference to be made between telling a trusted friend you’ll be out of town and making it public.
Keep Quiet About Trips
Although it may appear to be a simple concept, many people overlook the dangers of posting about their vacation before they leave or after they return. It’s a pretty big target!
Get Clever With Hiding Spots
We’ve talked about, and will continue to talk about, how leaving things in obvious or common places increases the risk of them being stolen. So, where should you store your belongings?
Get Clever With Hiding Spots
This person, who was a victim of a friend-turned-burglar, discovered this after experiencing it firsthand. It’s more likely that your valuables won’t be discovered if they’re hidden by something burglars won’t want to mess with, such as dirty laundry.
Verify Identities
This advice comes from someone who recognizes that they could easily be a burglar if they so desired. While they were genuine, far too many people put their faith in them solely on the basis of their word.
Verify Identities
This Reddit user discovered as a door-to-door salesperson that no one asked them to prove their credentials or identity before allowing them into the home. Even if someone was home, this would be an easy way to get in if they wanted to do something malicious.
Put a Beware of Dog Sign Up
If there’s one thing that will deter burglars, it’s the prospect of tangling with a guard dog or even a pet protecting their owner – as this Reddit user can vouch for the fact.
Put A Beware Of Dog Sign Up
Keeping this in mind, it’s not a good idea for everyone to get a dog, especially if they don’t have the means to care for it. If this is the case, you are not entirely out of options. Rather, displaying a “Beware of Dog” sign will have the same effect.
Fake Them Out
You can rely on faking a burglar out to keep them out for a unique tip. When it came to people breaking into their homes, this Reddit user came up with a pretty clever plan.
Fake Them Out
They, like many others, hid a spare key under their doormat, but they glued it down. While they aren’t burglars, the cameras on their porch proved that the concept works. They’ve seen people try to get their hands on the key, realize it’s a ruse, and flee.
Move Your Keys
The placement of keys near the door is a common arrangement in many homes. As you leave the house, you can simply grab them off the hook or from a bowl.
Move Your Keys
Even so, this makes them very easy to obtain. By leaving your keys near the door, you increase your chances of not only having your home broken into, but also having your car stolen.
Lock Your Car Up
You should also avoid making your car accessible to strangers, in addition to making your keys less accessible as possible. If you don’t, you risk having your car stolen or burglarized.
Lock Your Car Up
As this person pointed out, an alarming number of people leave their cars unlocked, with the keys still inside! This makes it extremely simple to get into a car, steal items or money, and then drive away without incident.
Hide Your Spare Keys Better
It’s important, and sometimes even necessary, to have a spare key to your home. Everyone loses or forgets a key at some point, and not everyone can afford to call a locksmith.
Hide Your Spare Keys Better
Too many people, however, leave their keys in obvious places where a burglar can easily find them. Spare keys are frequently found on top of the door frame, under a potted plant, or under the doormat, making them easy to locate by a burglar.
Lock the Windows
You probably make sure that all of your doors are locked before going to bed or leaving the house. However, you should include a few more precautions in your daily routine for maximum safety.
Lock The Windows
This person admitted to committing a few burglaries as a teenager, most of which took place in schools. They did learn one important lesson: if a person can’t get in through the door and is desperate, they’re likely to use an unlocked window.
Nothing Valuable in Your Car
Nothing puts you in more danger of being burgled than having something valuable on display in plain sight for all to see. This is particularly true when it comes to protecting yourself from car-hopping burglars.
Nothing Valuable In Your Car
Someone is more likely to try to break into your car if it contains valuables. As a result, rather than leaving valuables behind, it’s a good idea to bring them with you.
Move Your Jewelry
This thief shared an important piece of advice. If a burglar is able to break into your home, one of the first places they’ll look is your closet. While you can’t prevent this from happening, you can lessen the chances of losing something valuable.
Move Your Jewelry
Because many people keep valuable wearable items such as jewelry in their closets, they are a target for thieves. Keep your valuables hidden as much as possible to ensure maximum protection.
When Inviting People Inside
Even though this person was not a burglar, they did receive a helpful tip on how to avoid the hassle! When someone is already in your house, this is a particularly useful tip.
When Inviting People Inside
If you have a maid service or other cleaner in your home, you’ll want to pay special attention to this advice. Like a cable installation, these workers will see more of your home than the average visitor. As a result, hiding places like under your pillow will be easy to locate.
Don’t Leave the Garage Open
Although it may seem self-evident not to leave your garage door open overnight, it is nonetheless crucial to remember. When you aren’t home, you should keep your garage door closed at all times.
Don’t Leave The Garage Open
Even when someone is working in their garage but leaves it open to go inside for a moment, this creates a window of opportunity for burglars, according to this burglar on Reddit. When you leave your garage door open, it’s very easy for someone to sneak in and take your belongings while you’re not looking.
Invest in a Decoy
While each safe has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, there is one way to use a small safe to protect your valuables. This Reddit user has a lot of experience with this, so he knows it’s a good idea.
Invest In A Decoy
Try using a decoy safe if you buy a cheap safe that could be easily stolen. Keep nothing valuable in it, but because it’s a safe, a burglar breaking into your house is likely to assume it’s full of valuables. Before they check, they’ll take that.
Most Secure House on the Block
There are many tips available here and elsewhere to make your home appear less appealing to a burglar. They all boil down to the same idea: security. It’s not always about a specific level of security if you live in a crowded neighborhood, as this person pointed out.
Most Secure House On The Block
As harsh as it may appear, sometimes it’s just about being the safest kid on the block. If a robbery occurs in the area, your home is less likely to be targeted.
Other Ways to Use a Fake
This Reddit user elaborated on the previous one’s findings. While a glued-down door key is ingenious, a fake door key could also be the way to go. Burglars want to be quick once more.
Other Ways To Use A Fake
As a result, if they search for a spare and find one, they can simply unlock the door and enter. Another user commented that this is useful when using a doorbell camera to catch a glimpse of the offender.
Don’t Lose the Lights
In reality, a burglar is more likely to enter your home when you aren’t there. This is a strategy that reduces risk and gives them a little more room to snoop around your house.
Don’t Lose The Lights
This means that if you don’t take the proper precautions, your home will be more vulnerable while you’re away. For an added effect of someone actively being in the house, use a smart light that you can turn on and off when you aren’t there.
Mount the TV
If your home has already been broken into, this Reddit user has yet another suggestion. They have specific advice on how to keep your electronic items safe in your home.
Mount The TV
If you want to make an effort to keep your TV in place, mounting it rather than setting it up on an entertainment stand is a good idea. A freestanding TV monitor is another option that is simple to grab and go, but removing a mounted TV monitor takes time.
Find a Housesitter
This Reddit user has a slightly more macabre suggestion. What should you do to keep a house that belongs to someone who has recently passed away from being broken into?
Find A Housesitter
When someone passes away, it is usually widely known when and where the funeral will take place. This is owing to the readily available information on social media in large part. It’s a good idea to find a house sitter during this time because close friends will be attending the funeral.
Sacrifice Convenience
If a burglar is robbing your home, he or she is unlikely to stay for long. The longer they remain in the house, the more likely they are to be discovered and apprehended.
Sacrifice Convenience
When they broke into a house, this burglar stated that they didn’t want to stay inside for more than 15 minutes before fleeing. They didn’t have time to fight to get into something, so they didn’t. As a result, inconvenient hiding and security locations are frequently avoided.
Don’t Trust a Stranger
Even though many burglars prefer to take the easy route, others, as this Reddit user learned from an ex-burglar classmate, prefer to take their time. It was effective even though it wasn’t their primary method of obtaining people’s valuables.
Don’t Trust A Stranger
They’d “borrow” some equipment, leave a note of apology, and even buy their tickets to an event. While they were gone, it was the ideal opportunity to break into the house.
Small Lock Boxes Aren’t Reliable
Even though it may appear to be a good idea, keeping valuable items in a small lockbox has a number of drawbacks. It’s too similar to the idea of storing your valuables in a small safe.
Small Lock Boxes Aren’t Reliable
Even if a lockbox is well-hidden, if a burglar sees it, all they have to do is carry it away. They’re likely to assume there’s something valuable inside because it’s locked. It’s preferable to invest in a wall safe that can’t be easily stolen.
Watch Your Medicine Cabinets
Although items with obvious monetary value are certainly important to consider when considering burglars, theft is about more than just cash or expensive jewelry. You should also think about your medicine cabinet.
Watch Your Medicine Cabinets
One of the quickest tricks they had was to scoop everything out of the bathroom medicine cabinet, as this burglar explains. If you have medication that you absolutely need and are concerned about theft, it’s a good idea to keep it hidden.
Choose Your Safe Carefully
Investing in a safe to lock your valuables in appears to be one of the most surefire ways to protect them. This, however, isn’t as foolproof as you might believe.
Choose Your Safe Carefully
Finding the right safe, as this former burglar shared, is crucial to safeguarding your valuables. This does not imply a safe that is difficult to break into. You’ll want to look for a safe that’s bolted down and a little heavier in particular. Otherwise, it’s simple to carry away and later break into.
Kids, Don’t Open the Door
The practice of not allowing children to answer the door has long been a source of serious contention between many parents. After all, you never know what the future holds.
Kids, Don’t Open The Door
One possibility is that children do not always have the skills to recognize whether or not someone is suspicious. It’s very easy for them to think they’re helping by grabbing the door, but they’re actually letting someone into your home who you don’t want there.
Watch Your Purses
If you carry a purse with you, you’re probably aware of the need to be cautious in order to avoid it being stolen. But it can happen quickly! This Reddit user wasn’t a burglar, but they knew a few of their friends’ methods.
Watch Your Purses
They used to ride their bikes around parking lots, for example. When they snatched purses from shopping carts, this gave them a little more speed than running. First, get your purse into the car.
Choose Your Windows Carefully
When you move into a home, you usually have limited control over certain aspects, such as the windows. A minor renovation, however, may be required. If you have windows that can be opened from the outside, this is the case.
Choose Your Windows Carefully
While broken windows are a major concern during a break-in, you also don’t want windows that open easily from the outside. This will allow you to enter your home more easily and quietly.
Don’t Forget About Textbooks
When we consider valuables, we frequently consider the most obvious options. This includes cash, jewelry, electronics, and debit or credit cards, among other things. However, it’s possible that the things you don’t consider valuable are the ones that put you at risk.
Don’t Forget About Textbooks
For starters, college students should be aware that their textbooks can be used as targets, especially on campus. These are not only costly losses, but they can also be resold for quick cash.
Get Creative
Because, as we’ve discussed throughout this list, burglars have a few tricks up their sleeves, it’s often beneficial to think outside the box. Finding your valuables will be more difficult the more unique you are.
Get Creative
You can find plenty of niche tips online to assist you, and you can even come up with some of your own. A burglar would have to be around for a long time to find something like a fake outlet, as this person stated in their example.
Don’t Brag
We’ve already established that social media isn’t your friend when it comes to announcing a vacation. There are a few other safety precautions to be aware of. One of the most important is that you should avoid posting about expensive purchases you’ve made.
Don’t Brag
For starters, it’s essentially a sign that you have something valuable in your home. Worse, social media disseminates that information to a wider audience than simply viewing evidence from your home’s exterior.
Think About What’s Valuable
This Reddit user defined two types of burglars: those who are familiar with you and know where to look, and those who are simply looking to get in and out as quickly as possible.
Think About What’s Valuable
Making sure that valuable items aren’t easy to pick up and leave with was one of their recommendations. This person, on the other hand, reminded us that some items are more valuable to a burglar than we might imagine. Your toolbox, for example, should not be visible and easily accessible.
Not the Nightstand
This information didn’t come from a burglar, but rather from someone who returned home one day to discover their apartment had been broken into. They talked about one of the most important lessons they had learned that day.
Not The Nightstand
They were told by the police that the burglar had worked quickly when they reported the incident. As a result, they focused on the usual suspects. That’s when the cops advised the crime victim to keep valuables out of the nightstand in the future.
Don’t Leave Your Shed Open
Although your home and car are important to safeguard due to their high value, you’ll also want to ensure that your tool shed or garage is secure. If you don’t, you’re putting yourself at risk of having these tools stolen.
Don’t Leave Your Shed Open
Those same tools can also be used to gain access to your locked home. This thief advises homeowners to be cautious about the tools they leave out and accessible to burglars.
Get a Second Pair of Eyes
If you’re trying to hide something in your house, it’s a good idea to get a second opinion to see if your hiding spots are as inventive as you think.
Get A Second Pair Of Eyes
A great tip that this Reddit user learned from their uncle who covered robberies is to have a friend or family member you trust to help you. They shouldn’t help in the concealment of items, but after you’ve hidden them, you can call on these people to see if they can locate them.
Stop Windows from Shattering
There are a lot of things in your house that don’t appear to be secure without a lot of effort. How do you keep your windows from being broken easily, for example?
Stop Windows From Shattering
There is, in fact, a solution! A shatterproof film can be purchased to prevent your window from being easily broken. This is a clear solution that will not detract from the appearance of your windows while also preventing someone from breaking them to gain access.
Consider the Basement
In the event that a burglar breaks into your home, hiding your cash and valuables is critical — we’ve already covered this extensively, and there are more tips to come!
Consider The Basement
For the average middle-class homeowner, this ex-burglar had some good advice. One of the best places to stash cash is in an attic or basement, where it won’t be noticed. Thieves are less likely to recognize anything in that pile as potentially valuable if you hide it amongst old boxes.
Keep Your Valuables Off-Site
While it’s ideal to keep a burglar out of your home entirely, you can’t always plan for everything. This is where this piece of advice comes in handy. If you have something extremely valuable that you are concerned about being stolen, you should keep it somewhere other than your home.
Keep Your Valuables Off-Site
This way, even if you have a break-in, you won’t lose some of your most valuable possessions. It might be worthwhile to invest in a safe deposit box at your bank, for instance.
Get Cameras
There are many different types of security measures on the market, each with its own set of advantages that you can take advantage of. Some individuals are even more beneficial than others.
Get Cameras
A camera system for your home is an excellent investment. This will allow you to keep an eye on your home and provide evidence in the event of a break-in. Even so, putting up a sign announcing the cameras is a good idea.
Don’t Rely on the Freezer
There are some clever hiding spots in your home, but they don’t provide the same level of anonymity as they once did. That’s why it’s a good idea to deviate from the norm.
Don’t Rely On The Freezer
This person learned from their ex, who was a burglar, that hiding money and valuables in a book or the freezer is especially dangerous. These are simple hiding places that are popular enough to be one of the first places a burglar would look.
Don’t Rely on Sliding Glass Doors
You can use a variety of different types of doors in your home. Even so, this ex-burglar on Reddit advises against entering and exiting the house through sliding glass doors.
Don’t Rely On Sliding Glass Doors
They justify this by claiming that sliding glass doors are one of the easiest to open. Even if you invest in a home security system designed specifically to protect sliding glass doors, a burglar could still get through them.
Alarm Systems
Alarm systems, it should come as no surprise, aid in the prevention of the majority of burglaries. According to a study conducted by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 83% of burglars check for an alarm system before trying to enter a home.
Alarm Systems
If a home had an alarm, more than half of the former burglars polled would leave. If you can’t get an alarm system installed for some reason, you can always use similar or fake signs and stickers that can be easily found online.
Invest in Curtains
Open windows can provide an unintentional glimpse into your home. A burglar might be scoping out a neighborhood by peering through windows to see who’s home and what’s inside each house.
Invest In Curtains
Installing sheer net curtains or blinds is a simple and inexpensive way to keep this information private. Net curtains allow some light to pass through, but they hide any details visible through a window, such as an expensive television or other electronics.
Change Any Old Keys
This next piece of advice is especially beneficial to renters. After signing the contract for their new home, renters usually receive a set of keys from their new landlord. These keys were frequently the same keys given to the property’s previous tenants.
Change Any Old Keys
The issue is that there’s no way of knowing if those previous tenants made extra copies of those keys, which means there could be multiple sets of your house keys floating around. After moving into a new location, always replace and change locks and keys.
Play a Loud Action Movie
This former burglar shared this specific recommendation for the type of film or television show you should be watching. It’s worth noting that they recommend watching a bloody action film because the audience is more likely to be male and armed.
Play A Loud Action Movie
Having heard the sound of television is often enough to make a criminal carefully consider breaking in because the risk of confrontation is simply too great.This is great for those who are often alone in their homes.
Children = People at Home
When compared to other types of homeowners, parents with young children are more likely to be home during peak break-in hours. Someone is usually at home, whether it’s stay-at-home parents, parents caring for a sick child, or babysitters.
Children = People At Home
Most home invaders want to avoid breaking in while someone is home, so knowing that a parent might be home during the day could definitely be an issue when it comes.
Not All Dogs Are Created Equally
When it comes to preventing burglaries, one of the most common pieces of advice is to get a dog. While dogs can deter burglars, having the most vicious and ferocious dog in the neighborhood isn’t always necessary.
Not All Dogs Are Created Equally
The majority of burglars want to enter and exit a home as quickly as possible without being detected. While most dogs will bark at an intruder in the house, many smaller breeds are known to bark or yap constantly. A sneaky intruder does not want to hear such a loud and attention-getting noise.
Enclosed Isn’t Always the Best
The majority of detached single-family homes have some kind of fence or separation between the houses. While it may be tempting to surround your home with a tall, solid fence or bushes, this can have unintended consequences.
Enclosed Isn’t Always The Best
These enclosed backyards, according to this former burglar, can be a little too private at times, allowing him to do whatever he wanted without being seen by the neighbors. While no one enjoys a nosy neighbor, having extra eyes on your property isn’t always a bad thing.
Day vs. Night
Burglaries in television shows and movies are frequently depicted as taking place at night. The truth is that the majority of residential break-ins occur during the day. According to a report compiled by Arizona State University, nearly 60% of reported burglaries occurred during the day.
Day Vs. Night
Because most people are at work or running errands during the day, most homes are likely to be empty. Most home intruders avoid confrontations with armed homeowners or renters at night because the risk of being confronted by an armed homeowner or renter is simply too great.
Leaving Lights On
Several people believe that leaving a light on will deter a potential burglar, and while this is true in some cases, you may need to add some variety to make it appear more true to life.
Leaving Lights On
Long periods of time with the same light on can draw attention to the fact that no one is home. Turning lights on and off in different parts of the house can give the impression that someone is home, which may deter a burglar.
Don’t Stop Your Mail
Many people choose to have their mail or newspaper subscriptions stopped until they return when they go on a long vacation. While this can help you avoid coming home to a mountain of mail or newspapers, it can also give the impression that no one is home to potential burglars.
Don’t Stop Your Mail
Having a friend bring your mail or newspapers in and turn on various lights while they’re doing so, according to this former burglar, is a good idea. You’re giving the impression that someone is home at inconvenient times, which increases the risk of confrontation, which most burglars want to avoid.
Fortify Your Crawl Spaces
Although windows and doors are the first places that people think of fortifying in order to prevent a break-in, there are other areas of the house that could be used as break-in entry points.
Fortify Your Crawl Spaces
This Reddit user recommends that people inspect the crawl spaces beneath their homes and ensure that the entrances are properly sealed. Large openings in central heat and air conditioning ducts can also be surprisingly easy for someone to get into.
Weird Hiding Spots
Most films depict people concealing cash in carved-out books or even frozen food. Unfortunately, burglars have seen these films as well, which is why, when it comes to finding a safe place for valuables, you may need to think outside the box and get creative.
Weird Hiding Spots
This person recommends storing your valuables in condiment bottles because they are unobtrusive. We especially like the idea of hiding cash and other valuables in a stuffed animal. Just be sure to keep track of which toy you used!
Always Remember the Deadbolt
It’s easy to forget to lock the deadbolt on our door in the midst of our daily lives. Although deadbolts add an extra layer of security to your home, many people forget to lock them.
Always Remember The Deadbolt
As an added security measure, many homes have a traditional spring-bolt lock and a deadbolt. The majority of people concentrate on the spring-bolt lock, which is easily picked or opened. As a result, these ex-burglars advise people to double-check that all locks are properly secured.
Big Boots
This next suggestion was discovered by accident and is quite interesting. Several Reddit users claim to have noticed a link between feeling safer and having fewer burglaries when their male partners leave dirty work boots outside the house.
Big Boots
The reasoning behind this could be that potential burglars are afraid of whoever owns those big boots, or that confronting them would be too dangerous. It’s worthwhile to try out this innovative idea.
Avoid Student Areas
Off-campus college students tend to rent or live in the same neighborhoods. Whether it’s because they want to be around other people their age or because most students are on the same financial footing, where there’s one student, there are likely to be many more.
Avoid Student Areas
Unfortunately, it appears that safety in numbers isn’t always the case. Burglars are aware that the majority of students have the most up-to-date cell phones, laptops, and other valuable electronic devices. Student-friendly areas are also burglar-friendly zones, as this former burglar warns.
Carpool to Confuse Burglars
This tip was shared on a Reddit thread about home security, and while it isn’t the most inventive, it could help prevent burglaries. This tip’s goal is to make it appear as if someone is at home all of the time.
Carpool To Confuse Burglars
Carpooling not only benefits the environment, but it may also help keep your home safe. If a car is parked in the driveway, burglars watching your home may come to a halt and reconsider their plan. Few burglars want or are willing to engage in combat with another person.
Wave Hello to Safety
If carpooling isn’t an option, there’s another way to give the impression that someone is at home: pretend to wave at someone through the window. Before breaking in, burglars frequently survey and observe their potential victim’s behavior and patterns.
Wave Hello To Safety
A convincing wave can make it appear as if you’re bidding someone farewell in your home. In many cases, a burglar will pass up the opportunity to break in while someone is at home.
Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Many people assume burglars will be dressed in black, with a ski mask and gloves, because of numerous examples in the media and popular culture. The truth is that many burglars make every effort to blend in.
Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Rather, they dress in classic or unremarkable styles to avoid drawing attention to themselves. In a nice neighborhood, a man dressed in a business suit or formal attire would not look out of place, allowing him to conduct business without arousing suspicion.
Don’t Trust Your Mechanic
The majority of people at the mechanic are worried about the cost or inconvenience of having their car in the shop, and they frequently forget to remove their house key or garage door opener from their set of car keys.
Don’t Trust Your Mechanic
Given that the mechanic may have your personal information, having a key would make committing a burglary even easier. Remove your house key and garage door opener from your car keys before giving them to someone, especially if you’ll be out of town for an extended period of time.
Garage Door Opener
Another point to remember is to always take the garage door opener with you when you park your car. For easy access, most people clip their garage door opener or remote to the visor above their seat or another nearby location.
Garage Door Opener
Although convenient, this can make it easier for criminals to gain access to your garage and home. A thief would only need to break into your car and take the garage door opener by opening the window or door. It’s also a good idea to add an extra layer of security to your garage door, such as a deadbolt.
Be Careful Who You Let In
There are many problems that can only be solved by professionals when you own or rent a home. Allowing these service providers into your home can be beneficial, but it can also be dangerous.
Be Careful Who You Let In
In order to perform their services, technicians, repairmen, and even maids are frequently given unrestricted access to people’s homes. This access could be ideal for planning future break-ins or scoping out any valuables in their client’s home.
Spiky Plants
Many homeowners and renters are more concerned with the aesthetics of their landscaping than with how it may affect their home’s security. Burglars can hide in tall or dense bushes while observing a home or waiting to enter.
Spiky Plants
Spiky plants, such as rose bushes or other painfully spiny plants, should be placed around windows, according to this Reddit user. Few people will want to get tangled up in a sharp and thorny bush, and wrestling with such a spiky plant will attract attention.
Fake it ‘Til You Make It
Getting a guard dog, or any dog, is a great way to keep burglars at bay. However, for many people, owning a dog is not a viable option. So, what should you do to safeguard your residence?
Fake It ‘Til You Make It
It doesn’t hurt to act like you have a large, aggressive dog, according to this Reddit user. All you need is a used dog house, some strewn-together toys, and a large water dish. Burglars will be hesitant to mess with a large, potentially dangerous dog.
Nice Outdoor Decor = Valuables Inside
Adding outdoor furniture, flowers, and other types of decorations is one of the simplest ways to improve the appearance of your home. While these may improve your home’s curb appeal, they may also attract burglars’ attention.
Nice Outdoor Decor = Valuables Inside
According to this former burglar, they would frequently target homes with expensive-looking outdoor decorations because they assumed the owner had equally expensive items inside. He’s probably right, given how expensive it is to maintain a lawn or a meticulously kept garden in many parts of the country.
Wrong House Scam
One of the most common methods burglars use to determine if someone is home is to knock on the door of their target home and wait for the homeowner to respond. If no one answers the door, the burglar will simply claim that they were at the wrong address.
Wrong House Scam
Fortunately, thanks to apps like Next Door, where neighbors can quickly share information about events in their neighborhood, this scam is becoming less common. People can use these apps to alert their neighbors, hopefully preventing a crime.
Motion-Sensor Chainsaw
This next suggestion is a little out there, but it’s probably effective in deterring would-be criminals. Using a chainsaw connected to a motion sensor, this person’s grandfather decided to use his creativity and electric tools to scare away any burglars.
Motion-Sensor Chainsaw
We can’t imagine how terrifying it would be to walk into a house and hear a chainsaw revving. Given how many horror films feature chainsaws, we’re confident that burglars would flee immediately!
Get to Know Your Neighbors
It can be difficult to find the time to properly meet your neighbors in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. People can go years living next door to each other without interacting in many communities, which is a huge mistake when it comes to home defense.
Get To Know Your Neighbors
Reporting any suspicious activity near a home or neighborhood is one of the best ways to prevent a burglary. Having multiple eyes on the neighborhood and keeping an eye out for any suspicious individuals can help prevent something bad from happening.
Don’t Trust That Taxi or Uber Driver
Few people would hesitate to give a taxi driver or rideshare driver their home address as a pick-up location. Unfortunately, these addresses can be recorded by taxi or rideshare drivers and passed on to burglars.
Don’t Trust That Taxi Or Uber Driver
Any taxi driver transporting you to the airport can easily alert burglars that your home will be vacant. It is recommended that the driver pick you up in a public location, such as in front of a supermarket, or at a different address.
Loud Sounds
Setting up a trap to protect your property is generally considered illegal in the United States. The homeowner may be held liable if a burglar or other intruder is injured or killed. However, there are still methods you can use to frighten someone off your property.
Loud Sounds
This Reddit user suggests putting a hollow kayak under a fence to make a loud noise that will alert you to an intruder’s presence. Others have suggested placing empty cans or other loud objects near potential entry points.
Reverse Your Schedules
Among the most common methods for preventing burglaries is to make it appear as if someone is at home. Most burglars want to get in and out of a house as quickly as possible, avoiding a confrontation with an armed individual.
Reverse Your Schedules
Reversing schedules with your roommate or whoever you live with, according to this Reddit user. While this is obviously easier for some people, the most important thing is to keep a house as empty as possible.
Change Deadbolt or Strike Plate’s Screws
The majority of people aren’t familiar with the details of their home’s doors, such as the lock strike plate. A strike plate is a metal plate on the door’s side that has a hole through which the latch can pass.
Change Deadbolt Or Strike Plate’s Screws
When the door is locked, strong strike plates can prevent it from being kicked in. To properly secure the plate, security experts recommend using at least four three-inch screws. The screws that hold the deadbolt in place are the same.
Invest in an Anti-Jemmy Metal Strip
Numerous modern doors can be easily opened by sliding a credit card between the door and the doorframe’s crack or gap. The card will eventually be able to open the door by pushing the latch in.
Invest In An Anti-Jemmy Metal Strip
The best way to avoid this is to use an anti-jemmy strip, which is essentially a long piece of metal that covers the gap on outward opening doors. To prevent someone from using a card or other tool to open a door, these metal strips are becoming increasingly popular.
Motion-Activated Lights Outside
Reducing the amount of shadowy dark places where a burglar can hide or observe your home is one of the easiest ways to deter a burglar from targeting your home. Outside your home, motion-activated lights can help illuminate potential entry points.
Motion-Activated Lights Outside
These lights can also warn you that someone is approaching, giving you time to prepare or call the cops. The tip about pointing the lights towards the house is particularly useful, as it may prevent helpful neighbors from spotting suspicious activity.
Keep Car Keys Handy
When most people enter their homes, they hang their car keys on the doorknob or place them on a nearby table. Take your keys to your bedroom and keep them near your bed, according to this Reddit user.
Keep Car Keys Handy
Burglars or anyone scoping your home for a break-in want to do so quietly and unnoticed. You’ll give them an unexpected surprise and possibly make them paranoid that they’ve been seen if you turn on the car alarm.
Replace Door Hinges
It’s critical to become familiar with the components of your door, as suggested by other suggestions. This tip recommends replacing your door’s standard hinges with stronger screws designed for heavy doors.
Replace Door Hinges
A safety stud on door hinges, such as safety security hinges, prevents a door from being removed even if the pin holding the door’s hinge is removed. Because they don’t have a pin and the hinge is built into the door frame itself, invisible hinges are a good option for added security.
Keep Up With the Lawn
We’ve already discussed how making your home appear occupied can help you avoid becoming a target. You can take a couple of steps to help. Your lawn is one of the most obvious, but often overlooked, things to maintain.
Keep Up With The Lawn
Since most people try to keep their grass trimmed rather than overgrown, a potential burglar will notice if a house that was previously kept up with its grass has suddenly become a jungle.
Fake Them Out
Though we’ve already established that certain hiding spots are more appealing to burglars, you can also take advantage of this fact. This is especially useful for burglaries that are already underway.
Fake Them Out
This person stated that when a friend was concerned about burglars, she devised a brilliant plan. She increased the chances of burglars taking her real valuables by stuffing a fake jewelry box with costume jewelry that looked valuable and a little cash on top.
Break Down Your Boxes
Quite often the best way to avoid a burglary is to make sure you don’t appear to be a desirable target. Burglars take a risk by committing theft, so they want to know if it will be worthwhile.
Break Down Your Boxes
As a result, there are some things about which you’ll want to be less obvious. This includes dismantling your boxes. When you have a broken down box in your bin rather than a whole TV box next to it, you’re much less likely to be targeted.
Fire Safes Included
You probably expect a fire-proof safe to protect you not only from fire but also from theft when you buy one for your home. However, this isn’t always the case.
Fire Safes Included
If you buy a fire safe, you can rest assured that your belongings will be safe in the event of a house fire, but as this burglar pointed out, that doesn’t mean they’ll be safe from theft. This just goes to show that selecting a safe with care will save you money in the long run.
Don’t Lock Drawers
At this point, we’ve talked a lot about how important it is to lock up certain items. It’s usually a good idea to keep people out of your house, from your windows and doors to your car.
Don’t Lock Drawers
You don’t want to lock drawers in your house, which appears to be the polar opposite of this concept. Once someone has gained access to your home, these locks are easy to break into. In most cases, a burglar only requires a single tool, such as a crowbar. It simply indicates the location of the valuables.