Thursday, October 8, 2009

Secure Your Home for Free

By Martin Elmer

Your home can never be secured entirely. But you can make it so difficult for the burglar, that he chooses another house instead. And it does not have to cost anything at all.

The best way to avoid burglary is not to show, that you are away. Try to vary your routines, so it is not obvious that you are away from home at specific times of the day or night. It might be difficult, but try to change the departure and arrival just a little bit from day to day.

You should also stop the delivery of newspapers and mail, if you are away for a longer period. If the mail box is full, it is easy for thief to see that you probably not will be back soon. It is also a good idea to arrange with your neighbors, that they will park their cars in front of your house. Do also make sure that someone is mowing the lawn in the summer and removes the snow in the winter.

And finally do not write on Facebook, Twitter when you will be away; especially if you have an open profile that everybody can read. The thief is also beginning to use a computer, when they are searching for house to break into.

Light is the thieves worst enemy. Good lighting is one of the greatest deterrents to crime. If there are places, where it is obvious to break in, make sure they are lighted well. Do also mount floodlight on the corner of your house. Then the walls are flooded with light in all directions

Another great way to use light as a protection against burglars is to use plug-in timers to turn the light on or off, when you are away. Then the thief does not know if you are home or not. Just remember also to vary the on and off time, so it is not obvious that it is an automatic timer.

Always lock the shed with a large padlock. And do not leave ladders outside unattended. Many burglars do not bring their own equipment. Instead they use what they can find outside the houses. So do not make it easy for them to break in by giving them the necessary tools.

Typical entry points for the thieves are windows. So to protect yourself the best way, you can put a simple steal bolt or rod through the window frame. This way you make sure, that the window cannot be opened more than a few inches. And it is still easy to remove, if the window should be opened more.

You can protect yourself even more by investing in security cameras and alarm systems. And then a final obvious advice; remember to lock the door and close the windows, when you are away.

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