Keep Your Family Safe: Unique Ways to Protect Your Home From a Burglary #sponsored

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Mama’s Mission Home Safety 101

Unique Ways to Protect Your Home From a Burglary

When I was still living in NY, a drunk guy climbed the fence in my backyard and entered my home through the open balcony door. You are probably thinking the same thing I was, “How did the drunk guy make it up there?” Just kidding, I know you are wondering why the door was open, it is NY after all! It was summer time, in a safe neighborhood, and it was unexpected. I mean it has never happened before so why now? I never imagined it happening because I wasn’t prepared.

The drunk guy gave my mother a scare, and she gave him one too. She awoke to find him standing over her bed and screamed. He took off running so fast, down the stairs, and back out the balcony door that he came in. This time he didn’t climb the fence, he just jumped from the 2nd floor. Fortunately no one was hurt, nor did he steal anything. The police found him, but the grand jury didn’t feel there was enough evidence because neither my mother nor I had gotten a good look at him. If only we had an alarm system or even a security camera, we would have had the proof we needed.

See those large bushes/trees in front of the door? I’ve told my mom for years to get rid of those. They make for a great hiding space for a burglar!

112-41 69 Ave, Forest Hills, NY

Finally the trees/bushes are gone. Not by choice though. A few tornadoes came by and decided to do some redecorating in our yard. It took everything but the house with the exception of the awning over the door. Even the really old large tree in the backyard.

house

Today’s homeowners are becoming more and more savvy about protecting their home and the contents they have inside of it.  After all, they pay a high price to afford such a luxury.  Although they have homeowner’s insurance, the premium costs for most policies are too high to justify a claim for a small burglary.  Therefore, homeowners often take additional precautions to protect themselves.  For example, they install helpful safeguards like a nanny cam or alarm systems for home.  In addition to these useful tools, homeowners can also benefit from these unique ways to prevent burglaries.

Keep Up on the Yard Work

One way to ensure that burglars are not hanging around your home is to always keep up on your yard work.  In particular, the bushes, trees, and shrubs should be trimmed regularly.  This eliminates hiding spots in your yard and makes it more difficult for an intruder to come in through the porch, window, or back door.

Close the Blinds

Next, keep your blinds closed – especially during the nighttime hours.  There is nothing more tempting to a burglar than nice household items on display.  In fact, it is common for these criminals to “window shop” before they pick their target.  After all, they do not want to risk breaking into a home that does not have anything good inside.

Be Quiet About New Purchases

Another easy way to make yourself a target for burglary is when you advertise a new purchase like a new TV, computer, of video game.  It is common to throw away these boxes for all of the neighbors to see.  When you do this, you draw added attention to yourself.  This can be a major problem during the holiday season.

Strengthen Entry Points

Furthermore, according to statistics, over half of burglaries occur on the ground.  To properly protect yourself, it is important to strengthen these entry points.  You can do this by investing in stronger doors.  Also, make sure to install good hardware on your doors.  In addition, your windows should be fully secure and have no gaps. 

Install Deadbolts

When you are strengthening your entry points, it might be a good idea to install deadbolts on the exterior doors of your house.  There are two types of deadbolts – a single cylinder lock and a double cylinder lock.  They single cylinder deadbolts are usually less than $40.  These locks have one side with a keyed opening and another side with a knob.  The double cylinder lock is usually a little more than $40, and both sides are keyed.  Regardless of which lock you choose, you will be better protected with them on your doors.

Use Common Sense

Finally, sometimes the best way to protect your home is simply to use common sense.  For example, you should never leave the doors or windows open when you are gone.  You should also be careful about publicizing when you are out of town on social media sites.  This is an easy way to let your “friends” know that it’s the right time to rob your house. 

Hopefully, with the proper technology and these tools, you will never have to worry about something happening to your house.

Article provided by BrickHouse Security. Follow BrickHouse Security on Twitter or visit their Facebook page for more home and family safety tips.

Mama E

Multitasking mama to 3 living in Miami. Blogging about parenting, lifestyle, cooking and traveling. Covering everything from diapers to dorm rooms. Ask me anything, I've done it all.

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