5 Things That Attract Burglars to Your Home

One of the last things you want to do is to make your home attractive to burglars.  However, most of us, on a daily basis, are doing several things that may make our homes very attractive to burglars.  Statistics show that burglaries occur every 15 seconds across the country.  Here are five common mistakes many people make that could lead to them becoming the victim of a burglar:

1. Leave the door unlocked.  There are countless people that trust their neighbors and think that they live in very safe neighborhoods.  The truth is, these people may be even more vulnerable than those people who live in the more unsavory neighborhoods—those residents are more likely to lock their doors!  Don’t invite burglars into your home.  Lock your doors, as well as your windows, every time you leave.

2. Only use simple doorknob type locks and you will give any burglar easy entry into your home.  If all you have is the doorknob type of lock, hire a locksmith to install deadbolts.  These are far sturdier and safer, and most burglars will have difficulty entering without a key.  Which leads us to the next mistake.

3. Many people will leave a key under their welcome mat.  Nothing is more obvious to a burglar than checking in this ultra-cliché location.  Never, ever leave a key anywhere outside on your property.  All burglars know to check welcome mats, flowerpots and even those sneaky rocks that have hidden spaces.  You may think you are being clever, but do you really think they haven’t seen the commercials for those?  Having a key left out is almost like an invitation to a burglar.  If you are truly worried about being locked out of your home and needing emergency entrance, you can instead, invest in a combination safe that is intended for this purpose—and never share the combination with anyone.

4. In an effort to save on energy use, many people are in the habit of turning out all of the lights when they leave the house.  The pennies that you may save won’t come close to making up for what you stand to lose should a burglar decide to try your place because he knows you are away.  Most burglars don’t want to come in when the homeowners are there.  Don’t advertise that you are out.  It is smart to even leave a television or radio on when you’re gone, to make the house appear occupied.

5. Keep your storage shed unlocked.  An unlocked storage shed will give any burglar access to plenty of tools, and probably any ladders that they may need to enter your home.  Secure your shed, not only to protect what you are storing in there but also to protect yourself from having a burglar enter your home, assisted by your own tools.

Burglary is far too common, and far too easy for burglars!  Make it more difficult for the burglars to target your property by deterring them, and not inviting them in!  Pay close attention to your routine and your personal safety habits, and make the necessary changes to avoid being a burglary victim.