To avoid thieves, secure your home and belongings by locking all doors/windows, using alarms/cameras, keeping valuables out of sight (especially from windows), and making your property look occupied with timers and maintained landscaping; on your person, be aware in crowds (pickpockets create distractions) and use anti-theft gear like zipper pockets or hidden pouches.
Sturdy fences and gates with good locks are a strong deterrent to thieves. Ensure that landscaping is free from potential 'hiding places' for thieves.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the top ten burglar deterrents to use in 2021:
1. Alarm Systems. Burglars hate alarm systems - and for very good reason! Any indication that your home has a security system, such as yard signs, window stickers and a big alarm box, can act as a burglar deterrent and help prevent your home from being burgled.
Doors and windows are the most common entry points for burglars, so near these entry points is often the first place they look for any valuables. Burglars also know many homeowners hide their house key near the front door, making it easier for them to break in within minutes or even seconds.
Here are 6 clever places to hide your valuables in your home:
The most common times for break-ins occur between 10 am and 3 pm. Rather than being guarded by night, most burglars choose the daytime to attempt a break-in, targeting homes when they believe no one will be present.
5 Secrets burglars don't want you to know
It's true that making your home look lived in whilst you're away is a really good way to deter burglars. They'll be looking for an easy option and a home which is obviously empty can be an open invitation. Closing the curtains can make it obvious that you're not in.
Don't. Leaving your lights on all night doesn't send the message that your home. Instead, choose times you would normally use lighting during the evenings. If you use timers, set them to turn on and off in different rooms to give the appearance that someone is moving around your home.
Hiding Places to Avoid:
Thieves only need to be within a few metres of your car key to capture the signal, even if it's inside your home.
Tactic: Burglars will target properties where they know there will be items worth stealing inside, so that they don't make a wasted effort breaking in. They may look for people posting about having new and/or expensive items on social media, may peer through your windows, and check for discarded boxes in your bins.
Although tough on the build quality, door stops aren't truly designed to keep intruders out and thus, they can still come in. That is why it's always better to invest in a foolproof safety system to keep intruders and uninvited guests away.
During burglaries, intruders commonly look for portable items with a high resale value, things they can shove into a car and drive away within 10 minutes or less. Household goods, including pots and pans, knives, and kitchen appliances.
In some instances, they leave certain objects outside your house like cans, litter, bags, and so on. They use these markings as a note of their observations. For example, how many people are in a house, how many of them are male or female, whether there are any dogs, the list goes on.
Burglars are most likely to be put off breaking into homes by CCTV cameras and barking dogs, according to a panel of former criminals.
Signs Your House Might Be Marked for Intruders
Some research suggests that burglars most often strike on weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.14—times when even routinely occupied houses may be empty.
Leaving your porch light on all night might seem harmless, but experts say it can attract bugs, waste energy, and impact wildlife. Here's why you should switch it off after dark.
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The newest addition to the list of most secure phone in the world is the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Either way, houses with entry points weakened by disrepair, residents who leave doors or windows unlocked routinely, or homes with weakened security (like broken alarms) are more likely to be successfully burgled.
When do Most Burglaries Happen?
- Robbers will monitor your house for up to two weeks before breaking in. - Most attacks occur between 7 pm and midnight, usually when you're relaxing, sleeping, cooking, or watching TV, and your alarm system is not activated. Break-ins can happen until 4 am.