Is your house as secure as it should be? Is it safe from burglars? With 3,300+ home thefts per year in the US (aka every 26 seconds), home security is no joke. Here’s 10 free and ways to protect your home without a security system. These ideas and tips are so simple that even I could do them…..
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Backstory
A few weeks ago our neighbors went away on vacation. We knew they were gone because they asked us to water their plants while they were away.
And what happened the very first day they were gone? Strangers in their backyard. People who weren’t supposed to be there. I texted our neighbors. Eventually they figured out it was family members who decided (without our neighbor’s permission) to use the backyard to congregate for a picnic lunch.
This time it was weird relatives. But what if it wasn’t? What if it were burglars?
It got me to thinking if our house is secure as possible. And if you read my blog you know that I’m slowly addressing safety issues in our home. For example, last year I focused on home fire prevention by updating my fire extinguishers and developing a Family Home Escape Plan.
Now we focusing on reducing the risk of theft of our home. Being a single-family income, we don’t have dispensable income for a security system…. So I found these free ways to protect your home without a security system.
Theft Statistics That Will Scare You….
Or at least they scared me when I did the research. I was curious how much a threat burglaries truly are in our country today. I was surprised.
These statistics are pulled from various safety organizations, including SafeWise, Safe At Last and International Association of Home Inspectors (InterNACHI). And they might make you stop and wonder if your house is truly secure.
- A burglar strikes every 25.7 seconds in the US. (aka 3,300+ burglaries per day);
- The average break-in lasts only between 8 and 10 minutes;
- Over 50% of burglaries happen during the daytime;
- Over 80% of break-ins occur through the first floor, with 1/3 through the home’s front door;
- Residents are present in the home about 30% during a burglary;
- Police solve less than 15% of all reported burglaries due to lack of witnesses or physical evidence; and
- Summer months see the highest number of break-ins.
10 Free Ways to Protect Your Home Without a Security System
With these stats, it’s critical that homeowners think about ways to make their homes more secure and avoid being an easy target for break-ins. For some, the price of home security is easily affordable, from $10-$50 per month for security system plans or $100-$400 for cameras, according to Porch.
But if that’s not an option for you right now, here’s 10 easy and free tips you can implement today!
1. Lock Doors and Windows
This one seems obvious, right? But apparently a significant number of homeowners don’t lock their windows or doors. According to a study reported by Apartment Therapy, 30% of all burglaries occur with the intruder entering through an unlocked door. That equates to 750,000 homes. That’s a lot of homes that could have easily stopped a burglary!
Thieves target homes that are quick and easily to break into. The longer it takes to break into a house, the higher the risk of someone noticing them. Burglars look for easy targets.
So lock your doors and windows. It’s free. It’s easy. Lock your doors and windows whenever they’re not in use, even when you’re at home.
2. Trim Shrubbery
Unkept or high bushes and shrubs that cover windows are the perfect place for thieves to hide while checking for unlocked windows. Ensure that your bushes are trimmed so that they don’t create hiding places.
You may have a tall shrub that you absolutely love (I ❤️ Rose of Sharon) and it happens to be under a window. If so, then transplant it to a spot either away from or even between windows.
If you are feeling a bit evil, consider planting a thorny shrub under your window. We happen to have a beautiful, thorny rose bush under one of your windows. Makes it more difficult AND painful to break in!
3. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
This post would never have been written if it wasn’t for my neighbors going away on vacation and telling us about it. Get to know your neighbors. Find that one neighbor that you can trust.
And once you do, keep them in the loop with your general schedule. Do you work nights? Weekends? Is it a different schedule than your neighbor? If so – bonus points! If they have a different work or schedule, they might be around while you’re away and can alert you to any suspicious activity.
And of course, alert them to vacations so that they can keep an eye on your home while you are away. Ask them to help give your house a “lived-in” look. How? Go beyond the usual collecting your mail. Let them use your outdoor trash cans. Have them park their car in your driveway. Create the illusion that someone is home.
4. Keep Valuables Out Of Sight
Burglars target homes with expensive items that are easy to sell. Don’t entice would-be thieves by being flashy.
If your big screen TV is visible from the window, put up window treatment like curtains or blinds. Keep big ticket items that are easy-to-grab like bikes, lawnmowers and jet-skis either out of sight or stored safe elsewhere when not in use. Yards littered with toys give the impression that inside, these homes have game consoles, laptops and other highly-sought after electronics for the taking.
5. Secure Ladder and Tools
And while a ladder may not seem “valuable” in a monetary sense, it’s quite valuable to thieves. A ladder left out on your property helps a thief easily gain access to your house. As well as any tools lying around that might aid in prying opening doors or breaking windows.
Ironically, my husband left our ladder up for a few days against out house while I was writing this post. Our ladder was promptly put away….
6. Truly Hide Your Hide-A-Key
Everybody hides a spare house key. Admit it, you do. And thieves know the exact location of those predictable hiding spots – under the mat, inside the mailbox, under a flowerpot, beneath a rock.
Instead of those common hiding places, find somewhere unexpected. Or identify a handful of discrete hiding places and then rotate the spare key every few months. If you want to spend a few dollars, add an extra layer of protection by hiding the key in an inexpensive combination lock-box. Or better yet, rely on that trusted neighbor I mentioned earlier and give them the spare key.
7. Don’t Advertise
When on vacation, stay off social media. Headed out with your kids trick-or-treating? You’re happily on vacation or having fun and want to share it with the world. I get it – I do too.
BUT fight the temptation. Don’t post those spectacular beach vacation shots until you get home. Resist tagging your location while out of town.
Burglars use social media to find opportunities. In a study conducted by SafeWise, 60% of the burglary victims admitted to being active on social media on a daily or frequent basis.
8. Be Picky Who Comes Inside
It’s good to be trusting. And you may have a variety of people you let into your home. A nanny, babysitter, landscaper, cleaners, contractors. Sometimes they unfortunately can have ulterior motives or be tempted. Be smart about who you hire to work in and around your home. And while they are there, especially keep your valuables out of sight and safety stored – there is no need to flaunt.
There are good people out there, but even good people can be tempted.
When hiring someone who will come into your home, always complete a background check and ask for references.
9. Disguise Trash
Burglars commonly scope out homes prior to actually attempting a break-in. And an easy way for a burglar to determine what is inside your home is to go through your trash.
I’m not saying they are going to open up bags and start digging. I’m suggesting that if you recently bought a large, expensive item like a television or computer, you probably have a big box or packaging that might alert thieves that you have a shiny new possession that they might want to steal.
When you are prepping your trash or recycling with large boxes, either cut up the packaging or fold the box that reads “large screen tv” so that it’s prior contents isn’t advertised to the whole neigborhood. Make your trash as inconspicuous as possible.
This one I hadn’t thought of, and it’s a good one. The night before trash pick-up in our neighborhood, I frequently notice pick-up trucks driving slowly through our neighborhood. Commonly the driver stop to claim discarded furniture or scrap metal.
Until now it seemed harmless, even pleasant, to see folks gathering up my neighbor’s trash to recycle or upcycle, keeping it out of the landfills. But now I know that maybe one of the drivers in these pickup trucks may have an ulterior motive and scoping out houses.
10. Update Insurance and Create a Home Inventory
The above 9 free ways to protect your home without a security system applies to stopping thieves from entering your house. But this tip applies if your house is broken into.
Thieves are clever. Burglaries happen. Luckily, if your home is burglarized, you may be able to recover the value of your stolen items if you have home insurance.
But we all know that sometimes dealing with home insurance claims can be, well, difficult. Here’s two easy and effective ways to ensure you that claims go as smoothly as possible
1. Update Insurance
Notify your insurance company when you purchase especially valuable items. Let’s face it, if thieves get into your house, they are going for the expensive stuff. Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage to get reimbursed if stolen.
2. Home Inventory
Keep a home inventory, including pictures and serial numbers, of your personal belongings. (As a side note, if you don’t a home inventory check out 12 Reasons Why You Need a Home Inventory.) I did our home inventory online for free through HomeZada – it was super easy.
Decrease your risk of burglars breaking into your home and get a good night’s sleep with these simple and free ways to protect your home without a security system.
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