One of the worst things that can happen to you as a homeowner is suffering the loss from a burglary. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a break-in takes place every 15 seconds in homes around the United States. Most victims of this kind of scenario typically lose around $2,000 with each crime that happens, and unless your home insurance policy covers this kind of incident, you will be paying a lot for it in the aftermath. During the holidays this can be an especially huge concern, but there are a few things that you can do to reduce the risk of a burglary happening to your family home.
1. Don’t advertise what’s inside your house. If a stranger is walking down the street and can see that you have a beautiful bike outside, or expensive tools in the yard, this can lure them to your property. It is also a good idea to take a walk around your house to see what is visible on the inside. Make sure that if you open your curtains, you are able to hide the high price tag items from a line of sight to the street. Whenever you aren’t at home or sleeping at night, make some extra time to close everything up.
2. Trim your bushes in your front and back yards. By doing this, you are making it harder for an intruder to spy on you behind big plants. The average burglar doesn’t like to have to try hard when plotting a break-in, so a well-manicured yard will convince any potential criminals to go somewhere else.
3. Install censored lights around the perimeter of your home. Nothing would disrupt a break-in like having a full force of bright lights being turn on to the criminal. Not only that, but whoever is attempting to enter your home doesn’t know if it’s an automatic light or if someone is home and turned on the switch. Burglars like to lay low, so exposing their presence is more than likely going to scare them off.
4. When you are out, create the illusion that someone is home. This can be easily done by leaving on some music, a lamp or even the television. A lot of burglaries happen during the day while people are working, but if a criminal thinks that you are home they will probably look elsewhere. If you are out of town for an extended period of time, you can always purchase timer lights to switch on and off and certain times of the day. Or, have a neighbor stop by once a day to check in on the place and pick up any mail that might be left out.
5. Buy secure doors and screen doors to your entryways. In a lot of older houses the doors are made of hallowed out wood that might seem sturdy, but are actually really easy to kick down. It might be well worth the investment to go out and get a steel framed wooden door to make it harder for anyone to get inside. Or, you can double layer your entryways with secure metal screen doors. These are not only great for making it extra hard for someone to get inside, but you can even enjoy the benefits of getting fresh air safely with an open door during the summertime.
6. Lastly, invest in purchasing a security alarm for your house. Even though they can be cumbersome to turn on and off every time you leave the house, they are an extremely important asset. If someone happens to get in while you aren’t home, it will be the first source to alert your police department. Another tactic to use is putting a secure house sign in your front yard as a reminder to anyone who thinks they could make entry.
Stephanie Wilmsmeyer is a State Farm agent offering the best service for home insurance Columbia MO has to offer.