For many Australians, keeping their homes safe from the likes of burglars and thieves are one of their top priorities. And it should be because according to Budget Direct, around 2.4% of Australian households experienced a break-in between 2018 to 2019. Most experts recommend installing a security system as a means of fortifying your home security, but that’s not the only thing you can do to protect you and your family.
There are plenty of strategies that you can use to deter burglars and make your home a less-than-ideal target. In this article, we’ll be discussing 5 tactics that will help make your home more burglar-proof than ever before.
- Install warning signs
Warning signs act as a precaution to would-be burglars that serious consequences may occur if they force their way into your home. Using a “beware of dog” sign or a “CCTV in operation” sign are some examples of warning signs that you can use as burglar deterrents. You can even put up a sign that belongs to the security company you are subscribed to in an attempt to scare off potential intruders.
Obviously, no burglar would want to get caught red-handed when attempting a break-in. If they notice a warning sign that says security cameras are installed, they may reconsider their intentions and move on to another target. Just make sure the signs are visible at night and are installed in places that are difficult to tamper with.
- Make sure your home has adequate lighting
It’s no secret that a burglar would much rather prefer breaking into a home that’s poorly lit than one that’s surrounded with bright lighting. Lights are one of the best deterrents against burglars because it increases their chances of getting caught. Oftentimes, burglars target the back entrance of the property because most homeowners use little to no lighting in these areas at all.
To further improve your home security, make sure your home has adequate lighting from all four corners. This helps eliminate any hiding spots and discourages burglars from targeting your property. Most homeowners nowadays use LED lights that turn off when the sun goes up to save on electricity. Some even have a built-in motion sensor that automatically lights up as soon as it detects any movement.
Regardless of the type of lighting you use, keeping your home well-lit at night will help lower your risk of burglary significantly.
- Own a pet guard dog
Dogs are more than just furry companions. In some cases, they can even serve as burglar deterrents, especially if you own a guard dog such as a Rottweiler or a Bullmastiff. These dog breeds are very protective of their owners and their relatively stocky builds strikes fear into the hearts of potential intruders.
Guard dogs keep you on high alert as they tend to bark on unfamiliar people that enter their domain. The barking noise is sure to throw off any burglar as not only do they want to avoid getting caught, but being bitten as well.
- Install dummy security
Now you may think that this sounds counterintuitive (especially if you already have a working security system installed), but a dummy security can prove beneficial in certain situations. For example, you can scatter a couple of fake CCTV cameras on the outside of your property and make them as visible as possible. As the burglar observes your house from a distance, they’ll be wary of the cameras and hopefully, make them reconsider their intentions.
Dummy security have working lights that resemble the real deal. The best part is that they’re very inexpensive and if a burglar were to destroy them, then you wouldn’t have to worry about its replacement cost. Of course, this can only be done when you already have a pre-existing security system in place as we do not recommend relying on dummy security alone to deter thieves and burglars.
- Create an impression that your home is always occupied
A home that looks empty or unoccupied is a prime target for burglars because they know that they’re less likely to get caught if they force their way in. This is especially true for homeowners who are always out and about and leave their homes for long periods. To avoid attracting unwanted attention, you want to create an impression that your home is occupied.
You can do this in a number of different ways. First is you want to use smart LED bulbs and set them to light on and off at different times throughout the night. Second, you want to avoid leaving any parcel unclaimed at your front door. When a package is sitting for too long outside, it usually means that no one is home and burglars are very observant of this.
The last tip is to hold off on announcing your holiday on social media until you get back. Most burglars today are savvy and monitor their potential targets online. Don’t give them the hint that you won’t be home for a few days so that your home will look genuinely lived in while you’re away.