The whole point of having great curb appeal is to make your home inviting to look at. But is your property attractive to someone casing the neighborhood? Use this short guide to find out if your home looks inviting to burglars.
Home Security
Invest in a home security system. In today’s competitive market, you should be able to find one that fits your budget.
Install motion-detector lighting on your property.
A low-tech, inexpensive option is to place security signs in the front yard or the garage door. Add a security company’s decals to windows.
Windows and Doors
Keep windows and doors locked at all times.
Consider putting additional security locks on second-storey windows that are close to trees that can be climbed.
Remember that home invasions occur in the daytime as well. Close the curtains and blinds of street-level windows when you’ll be gone for the day.
Indoor Lights, Outdoor Lighting
To people intent on breaking and entering lights mean someone is home; burglars need the cover of darkness to prevent detection. When you’re going to be away – it doesn’t matter if it’s for a weekend ski trip, a week-long conference or no one will be returning home until after 7 p.m. – put lights on timers.
Get into the habit of turning on entry door lights every night so that when you aren’t there your home exterior looks “normal.”
Invest in landscape lighting; it will shed light on areas that are in the shadows.
More Home Security Tips
To prevent from unwittingly inviting burglars into your home, other ways to secure your property include:
- when gone for more than four days, ask a friend or neighbour to park in your driveway
- never hide a spare key under the welcome mat or in a flower pot
- add landscaping features such as low-growing shrubs and “noisy” gravel ground cover beneath windows
- avoid signs of neglect – keep your property neat and tidy
- prevent deliveries from being left in plain view
- don’t leave the garage door open and keep it locked
- if away for a week or more, manually lock the garage door to prevent it from being accessed by a techno-savvy burglar
