Burglars primarily target bedrooms (especially the master) for jewelry, cash, and electronics, followed by home offices/studies for tech and documents, and the living room for visible electronics. They check common hiding spots like under mattresses, in drawers, closets, and even inside decorative items, often starting near entry points like the entryway for keys and then moving to the most valuable rooms for quick gains.
A good place to hide valuables could be the entrance area, for example, as it is often overlooked. An unused fireplace can also be used as a hiding place: simply remove the cover, place valuables inside and then close it again. It is unlikely that a thief will look there.
Avoid clichéd, accessible, and environmentally risky hiding spots (mattresses, drawers, pantry, books, appliances, outdoor obvious spots, car). Prefer institutions (banks), or a properly rated, bolted home safe and a diversified strategy limiting home cash to a small emergency reserve kept dry and discreet.
One of the most common entry points for burglars is a ground level window at the rear side of a home. That's why you should use the same security measures on your windows as you would on your doors. Screens on windows do not guarantee the security of the window.
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.
Security measures that put burglars off
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.
1. Home Security Cameras. Our best deterrent for burglars is the presence of an outdoor security camera. Having cameras mounted around your exterior home is a great way to prevent burglars from entering your home!
The Worst Place to Stash Your Valuables
What are the most common indicators that burglars are scouting a home?
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.
Inside the freezer
Storing cash in the freezer seemed to be such a 90's movie cliche, but nowadays it's a place burglars are unlikely to check. Place small valuables in a waterproof container or bag, and hide them inside a bag of frozen vegetables, one that doesn't get eaten often by the family.
5 Secrets burglars don't want you to know
within hollowed-out/removable building components, such as wainscoting, floor panels, door jambs, window sills, and cabinet doors. in the garage inside boxes marked with mundane labels, such as “Xmas Ornaments,” “Kid's Clothes,” “School Projects,” etc.
18 Ways to Theft-Proof Your Home Inside and Out
In a safe: 10% keep some money in a locked safe. In a secret compartment: 6% keep cash in a place (they hope) no one will ever find.
Burglars are looking to get in and out of the home as quickly as possible. If you place a jewelry safe in an unexpected place like a kitchen pantry, hidden underneath boxes in a closet, or in a bathroom, you have a better chance of them failing to find it.
hideout. A hideout is a secret place where someone can take refuge. Criminals or outlaws often lie low in a hideout to avoid being found by the police. A car thief might use his grandmother's apartment as a hideout to avoid detection.
Ring doorbells can act as a deterrent by making burglars wary of being recorded, leading some to choose easier targets, but they aren't foolproof; determined criminals may disable them, disguise themselves, or see the camera as a sign of valuable items inside, and while police use the footage, independent data on crime reduction is mixed, with some studies showing little effect or even increased risk, making them a component, not a complete, solution.
34% of burglars enter through the front door; 23% enter through a first-floor window; 22% enter through the back door.
Trellis, thorny plants, or a suitable anti-climb topping such as plastic spikes make it difficult for anyone climbing over a fence or gate. Planting prickly or barbed shrubbery along boundaries and fence lines acts as an effective natural barrier. Gravel driveways and paths will make sure you hear anyone approach.
Leaving Lights On Can Have The Opposite Effect
“A light in your home typically signals that someone is there, but in the middle of the night, it can also give the opposite impression—making it look like you're out of town,” MacDowell says.
Signs Your House Might Be Marked for Intruders
Under the mattress or bed
It's one of the most clichéd hiding spots, but people still use it, so it's often one of the first places where burglars look for valuables.