Your home should be your safe haven, a place where you and your family feel safe and secure. Unfortunately, there are crooks out there looking for any sign they can break in for an easy steal. We hope that we will never be victims of a home invasion, but sadly, no one can guarantee that scenario.
Luckily, there are ways to deter these low-life criminals. Consider these situations the next time you plan to go on a vacation or leave your home for an extended period of time.
Lawn Care is Getting Out Of Control
One of the first things a crafty home invader may look for when scouting out homes is an overgrown lawn. Especially in a nice neighborhood, where lawn care is usually pristine, an overgrown lawn is a clear sign that the owners are away, leaving the house empty.
If you take care of your property’s landscaping, consider hiring a temporary yard crew while you are on vacation. Or, you can bribe a neighbor to mow your yard to keep a thief’s eyes away from your home.
Mailbox is Overflowing
Another way to put your home on display to burglars is to let your mail overflow and packages sit on your porch for more than a few hours. Most people want to grab their packages as soon as possible, so sitting out overnight is like hanging an open sign on your front door.
Depending on how long you plan to be gone, you can have your mail held by the post office or rely on a friendly neighbor to grab it. As for packages, just hold off on the online shopping and enjoy your time on vacation!
Curtains Are Constantly Closed
A house with the curtains shut 24 hours a day might be a little suspicious, so an intelligent criminal might keep an eye on it. If the curtains don’t open in the following days, they may feel confident it is empty and proceed to loot the place.
Luckily, there is an easy fix to this problem. It’s 2024, and everything comes in a “smart” edition. This includes curtains, which you can open and close via an app to make it look like the family is home and everything is normal. The last thing a criminal wants to do is risk robbing a home when there are people home.
Trash and Recycling Didn’t Go Out
When staking out a potential target, burglars might do a drive-by on garbage day. If all the houses but one have their bins out, odds are that house is empty for the night. Boom, you are now on the list of homes they plan to raid.
Once again, you are going to have to rely on a trusty neighbor. Hopefully, you have made some friends on the block to help you out. Here’s a bit of advice: A $10 tip goes a long way with some of the local neighborhood kids.
All the Lights Are Out
The opposite of keeping the curtains closed is keeping them open but leaving all the lights out. There is something strange about a home being constantly dark for a couple days in a row. Either the homeowners haven’t paid their electricity bill, or the owners are out of town.
Odds are the owners have left for the week. The good news is you can now set your lights to timers, install security lights with motion sensors, or use a TV light simulator to make it look like people are home.
Snow Has Built Up
There is nothing like leaving your winter home for a tropical beach vacation. Well, unless a snowstorm hits and serial home invaders mark your place as a target because it is the only one without a shoveled driveway.
Hire a crew to clear the snow instead of ruining your beach vacation by worrying. Or, going back to a previous tidbit, tip the local kids to do the hard work. You’d be surprised what a ten or twenty-dollar bill can get a kid to do when it comes to chores.
Parked Cars That Don’t Move
As we go through these scenarios, we learn that criminals are much smarter than we give them credit for. They will look for anything to give them an edge at stealing your stuff. This includes noticing parked cars that usually come and go, parked in the same spot for consecutive days.
Your options here are simple. Ask a friend to stop by and move your car from time to time. You could even fill up the gas tank and let them take it on errands for the week. That is a nice way to repay them for their time.
Lack of Security System
Burglars want to rob a home with expensive items in it. They usually target wealthy neighborhoods with nicer homes. While most of these homes have home security systems, some are secured by basic door locks. When two homes are targeted, and one has a security alarm, which one do you think is more likely to get robbed?
Of course, it is the one without an alarm! Home security systems are much cheaper nowadays, so there is no reason not to have one installed. If you have invested in expensive possessions, invest in a security alarm. You won’t regret it.
You’re Constantly Posting on Social Media
It is incredibly easy for people you don’t know to follow you on social media. Even if you use a nickname for your online persona, a savvy criminal will find your and your family members’ Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and other accounts. If you are out of town and post a picture away from your home, you could be asking for them to break into your home.
Law enforcement suggests you avoid mentioning when and what time you will be on vacation. They also say you should wait before you come home to post, but if you do, check your security settings to keep as many eyes off your profile as possible.
Expensive Items are Openly Displayed
I remember my dad telling me to not leave the boxes of my new TV and computer in my recycling bin. When you think about it, it is solid advice. When you do, it’s openly letting the world know that you have expensive electronic equipment in the home. That could be enough to entice a greedy robber looking for a quick buck.
It’s always a good idea to keep your valuables hidden. If you have expensive toys in the garage, keep them closed and secure them with a lock. If you have fancy art on the wall, close the blinds to that room. The less a criminal can see, the less likely they are to decide to break in.