How To Stop Burglars From Targeting Your Home (Top Tips)

Getting Started

Coming home to find that you have been robbed of expensive and irreplaceable items is something that we hope no one ever has to go through.

Unfortunately, burglaries may be more common than you think. According to a list of 2018 crime statistics published by the FBI, a burglary occurs around every 25 seconds in the U.S. Even if you live in a seemingly “good” area, your home may still be a target for burglars. According to SafeWise, more burglaries occur in rural areas than they do in city hubs, which is contrary to what most people tend to assume.

So, you may be wondering how to stop burglars from targeting your home. This guide should provide you with useful tips on deterring burglars and understanding what to do if you believe someone is attempting to illegally enter your home.

Theft isn’t always a spur-of-the-moment decision. In fact, burglars are often categorized into two types:

1.  The professional. The professional burglar plans their heist ahead of time and analyzes their target’s home and the habits of its residents.

2. The opportunist. The opportunist burglar is more an amateur. They will see a vulnerable property and decide to break into it spontaneously.

Both types of burglars are dangerous. They can leave behind serious damage and steal invaluable possessions.

In this section, we’ll focus on the professional burglar. This kind of burglar tends to be a very smart individual with a well-thought-out plan. Some homes stand out as easy targets for burglars. FashionBeans breaks down how burglars decide who to target. Here are some things that burglars look for when deciding if a house is worth breaking into:

An empty house.

While it’s inevitable that you won’t be home all the time, criminals tend to target empty homes. They can confirm that a home is empty by studying your and your family’s daily habits, or they can knock on your doors to verify that no one is home at the time of their planned break-in. Instead of staying home all day to protect your house, there are security measures you can take that we’ll explore later on in this article.

Unlocked doors and windows.

While this may seem like common sense, a lot of people forgo locking their home’s doors and windows. Some people are far too trusting, while others are ignorant of the potential consequences. Some people assume it’s okay to leave an unused or hard-to-access door unlocked. Keep in mind that just because you don’t use it a lot doesn’t mean that a burglar won’t find their way to it.

A window air conditioning unit.

While you may rely on a window AC unit to keep your home cool in the warmer months, this can be a serious home security risk. Criminals can kick in the unit for easy and undetectable entry to your home. We recommend ditching your AC unit and investing in central air in the name of your home’s security.

Obvious luxury items.

Some people unnecessarily flaunt the expensive items they own. Don’t make your flat-screen TV and other high-tech items visible from the street. We also advise that you move items like cash, jewelry, brand-name clothing, and firearms from your master bedroom to a safer location. Burglars are looking for a big takeaway, so don’t give them any reason to think that you have items they would want.

An easily-accessible yard.

Criminals want an area they can access easily. If you don’t have a fence, thieves are more likely to approach your home. A fence is difficult to scale and can be a great burglar deterrent, so it’s worth having one installed.

Now that you understand what can make your home a target for invasions, we’ll explore some specific ways you can prevent them from occurring.

Secure Your Windows

Your doors aren’t the only point of entry for a thief. If you’re looking for information on how to deter burglars, securing your windows is a good place to start. When your windows are left accessible to anyone, you’re practically inviting a burglar inside.

Take the following steps to make your windows a difficult, if not impossible, point of entry for anyone with bad intentions:

1) Invest in Locks for Your Windows

Most windows come with locks already installed, but you can take additional measures to further secure your window from outside threats. Check out the different types of locks you can get for your home’s windows:

• Sash locks. Sash locks work well with double-hung windows, which are windows that can be opened from both the top and bottom.
• Keyed locks. As the name implies, these locks require a key to lock and unlock them. Just be sure you keep track of it all of the copies that you have made of it.
• Hinged wedge locks. Hinged wedge locks are another type of lock ideal for double-hung windows. With hinged wedge locks, you can adjust it so you can partially open your window to let fresh air in while still deterring criminals.
• Pin locks.We recommend that you install pin locks on your windows located on the ground floor. You can lock your window in a fully closed or ventilated position, which prevents burglars from both lifting and sliding it.

2) Invest in Stronger Glass

Burglars don’t want to draw attention to themselves. Make it difficult for them to enter through a window by upgrading your window’s material:

• Tempered glass. Tempered glass is around four times stronger than normal glass. When broken, it tends to crumble rather than break into a few jagged pieces. This is a great deterrent to burglars, as they’ll have to try harder to break your windows. And, if they succeed, they’ll make a scene with the way tempered glass windows break.
• Plexiglas. Depending on its application, Plexiglas can be anywhere between 6 to 14 times stronger than normal glass. It’s made out of acrylic rather than real glass, so it’s impact-resistant.
• Polycarbonate. According to AcmePlastics.com, polycarbonate can be up to 250 times more resistant to impact than standard glass. This striking difference makes polycarbonate windows a solid choice if you want to keep burglars out.

Replacing your windows with stronger materials is a great burglar deterrent, but it can get expensive. You don’t have to do it on all of the ones in your home. Only do it on ground-level windows and others that are easily accessible to criminals.

3) Create A Natural Defense

If you want something less expensive than a fancy lock or new glass, consider breaking out your gardening supplies. Planting the right plants and bushes by your window can deter a burglar if done correctly. When deciding which plants to use, you should ensure they have one or more of the following main characteristics:

• Dense foliage
• Thorny stems
• Prickly leaves
• Abrasive texture
• Leaves that sting to the touch

Here are several common plants, bushes, and trees that, when positioned around windows, can deter burglars from breaking in:

• Shrub rose
• Creeping juniper
• Pencil Christmas tree
• Gooseberry
• Giant rhubarb
• Blackthorn
• Firethorn
• Common holly
• Hawthorn
• Golden bamboo

While not infallible, planting one of these plants, bushes, or trees is a great way to deter criminals. Burglars want an easy way to get in and out, and having a natural line of defense will complicate their plans. If you don’t like any of these plants, you can certainly use other ones that fit with your yard’s specific landscape.

4) Add Window Bars

Even if a burglar manages to break through your glass, window bars are a good way to stop them from entering your home. Some homeowners are hesitant to take this safety precaution because of the unsightly appearance of window bars. Keep in mind that your home doesn’t have to look like a prison with window bars installed; there are decorative options with abstract designs available. In addition to offering aesthetic appeal, these decorative pieces can still be securely fastened to prevent a burglar’s entry.

Protect Your Home When You Go On Vacation

If someone with bad intentions notices you are absent from your home for a long period of time, they may be more tempted to break into your home. Here are some ways you can protect your home and its valuables while you’re away on vacation.

Ask Someone to Get Your Mail for You

Ask a neighbor or a friend to get your mail for you. If you don’t have anyone to ask, stop all newspaper and mail services. Ask your post office to hold your mail and cancel any unwanted magazine subscriptions. A large pile of uncollected mail is a sign to a thief that your house is unoccupied and an easy target.

Don’t Forget About Lawn Care

Long, uncut grass and non-manicured landscape are telltale signs that no one is around. You can ask a neighbor to do this or recruit a lawn care company.

Remove Any Spare Keys Outdoors

Some homeowners leave a spare key in a location outside their house, like under a doormat or in a potted plant. While we don’t recommend you practice this habit when you’re around, we highly suggest you remove these spares before going away on vacation. If one is left out while you’re gone, a thief will have an opportune chance to search your property for an easy way inside. 

Lock Your Garage

Some garages offer an entrance to homes while others don’t. Either way, you should check to ensure your garage is locked before you leave for a trip. Lock your garage to prevent valuable tools and other items from being stolen. Plus, you’ll protect any unlocked vehicles from being broken into.

Set Up Timed Interior Lights

Timed interior lights are a great way to fake your presence at home. If a thief notices your house is dark all the time, they will assume no one is home. You don’t need to have interior lights on a timer installed in every room. Interior lights in main rooms like the kitchen, living room, and master bedrooms are some of the best burglar deterrents.

If you can control your timed lights from your phone, consider changing the time your lights come on every once in a while. This way, an observant thief who’s carefully studying your house won’t be able to tell your lights are on a set timer. 

Keep Valuables Out of Sight

Don’t leave any valuables in plain sight. Double-check that your credit cards, cash, jewelry, firearms, and other valuable possessions are stored away in a safe or other secured, out-of-sight area.  

Don’t Advertise Your Absence

If you want to post about your trip on social media, make sure your profile can only be seen by people you trust. If your social media profiles are public, we recommend holding off on posting about your trip until after you get back. 

Consider Getting a Dog

If you’ve been on the fence about getting a family pet, know that a big dog can be a great burglar deterrent. Large, barking dogs can serve as a threat to strangers. A thief won’t want to draw attention and will fear being attacked if you have one of the following dog breeds in your home:

• Akita
• Doberman Pinscher
• Bullmastiff
• Great Dane
• German Shepherd
• Pitbull

When you bring a large dog into your home, make sure it’s a good fit. Avoid getting a dog of this size if you have young children or a small living space. 

Invest in Burglar Deterrent Gadgets

We recommend investing in the following high-tech burglar deterrent gadgets to keep your property safe from bad guys:

• A smart video camera surveillance system. A smart video camera surveillance system is a great burglar deterrent gadget. Get one that you can monitor from your phone. Smart systems like this give you a list of menu control options, like moving the cameras to view more of an area. You can also request alerts if someone approaches your home.
• Motion-sensing lights. A well-lit yard will keep any thief at bay. Smart lights that come on when someone activates them are extremely effective. They make thieves panic and alert you of their presence.
• Window/door alarms systems. If a door or window is opened during a time when it should be locked, a window/door alarm system will notify you and emit a loud noise to ward off a thief. 

What to Do if You Think Someone is Outside Your House

If you have an inkling that a suspicious character is trying to break in, take the following steps to keep you and your family safe:

• Don’t go outside and search for yourself. The intruder may be armed and dangerous. 
• Make it known you are home by having the lights on but don’t make it obvious who exactly is in the house. 
• Lock yourself and any other residents in a safe room, preferably on the second floor if you have one. Secure the door with a chair. 
• Call 911 and alert them that someone is outside your home and won’t leave.

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