Here at Mesa Alarm, we understand that keeping your home and family away from intruders is your number one concern. We are here to help you make your home as unappealing to burglars as possible. Here are 11 ways on how to prevent a home invasion.
1. Get a Dog
Dogs are the number one deterrent for burglars when they inspect your home. Burglars don’t want to take the risk of getting bitten by a big vicious dog. This option is a good idea for those who are dog lovers as you will have a dog to take care of and that won’t work out if you’re not a fan or if you’re allergic. If you are a dog lover, this option will be great as burglars would rather rob a dogless house than having to deal with a potential threat. Best of all you’ll have a best friend who has your back and front yard protected.
2. Lock Your Doors and Windows
It seems like common sense, but this is one of the biggest reasons why homes are invaded so often. Before leaving your house make sure that all windows and doors are locked. The first thing burglars do is check for any openings, such as a front door, because they want to enter a home in the easiest way possible in order to avoid leaving any signs of a break in.
3. Choose the Right Landscape Strategies
Don’t give a burglar the opportunity to be able to hide in your bushes. Always keep your yard trimmed. Chooses bushes with thorns so that going near them will make burglars second guess coming near your property. Also, try to incorporate gravel as part of your landscaping. The rough textures will make footsteps sound louder and will let you know someone is approaching your home.
4. Keep the TV on
Before leaving the house, keep your television on. It’ll give burglars the allusion that someone is home. Burglars want to approach empty houses, so the more it looks occupied, the less likely they will attempt a break in. Burglars are most likely to make their attempt when people are at work.
5. Don’t Let Anyone Know You’re on Vacation
Tempted to post your vacation on social media? Don’t. You are just letting everyone know that you will be nowhere in sight for an extended period of time. While it’s been mostly celebrities who have been affected by this, you never really know who is watching you and attempting to plan an invasion. It’s better to be safe than sorry. You can always share your vacation pictures after, when you’re back.
6. Don’t Keep Expensive Items in Plain Sight
Whether it’s leaving items on your backyard or having high value items visible near a window, you should attempt to hide them from onlookers. Burglars like to window shop for what they’re going to steal. Don’t give them a preview. Move valuable items out of sight will remove your items from their wish list.
7. Hide Your Trash
Don’t leave your trash out in the open after purchasing expensive items like high def televisions or a Mac laptop. Make sure you cut up the cardboard boxes until you can’t tell what the boxes contained and then throw them away in a trash bin inside bags that are not see through.
8. Get a Neighbor to Keep a Lookout
It’s important to know your neighbors, after all they are the closest people to you, literally. Once you build a trusting relationship, you can rely on each other for favors. You can ask your neighbor to collect your mail and keep an eye on your home, maybe even water your plants if you are going to be away for vacation for a long period of time. If this isn’t an option for you for whatever reason, you can ask the post office to hold your mail. Not picking up your mail gives burglars the inclination that no one is home and won’t be returning any time soon.
9. Start a Watch Program
Studies have proven that watch programs reduce crime in neighborhoods because there is a plan to combat and prevent threatening behavior to go near the area. An entire neighborhood will put up a bigger fight than a single household. Talk to your neighbors on how you all can come together and create a crime prevention plan.
10. Keep Up with the News
It’s imperative for you to know the area that you’re living in. Keep up with your local news to hear about break ins in target neighborhoods to see if yours might be next. If you live in a big city like Houston, you can check crime maps online that pinpoint areas where certain crimes take place.
11. Install a security camera system
A surveillance camera with an alarm system that is visible to burglars from the outside is a great security device that will give you piece of mind. It will make burglars more likely to avoid your home as they fear the ability to leave evidence will get them into trouble whether the get to make an escape. You can trust that here at Mesa Alarm, we have the best high quality home security systems in Houston and are more than happy to provide you with the security system you need to protect the vulnerable spots around your home.
At Mesa Alarm, we want to provide you with helpful information on how to secure your home and belongings. We listed many options on how to prevent a home invasion, and while all are good recommendations we strongly suggest installing security cameras because it is something that will help you capture evidence when all other prevention measures have failed. It will help you keep your family safe as well. If you are looking for recommendations on types of security cameras, read this blog. Mesa Alarm Systems has been providing top of the line security systems in Houston for years. Contact us to see what Mesa can do for you. Learn more about our products and services today by calling (281) 694-4313.