Decrease the Risk of Your Home being Burgled

4 min readAug 11, 2021

[Updated 3/2024]

Burglars don’t like getting caught. So they are always on the lookout for dwellings where they have less chance of getting caught. Here are some ways that you can decrease the risk of a burglar choosing your home.

You can always purchase/set up a security system. One that you can use to remotely turn lights and tv on/off during the day is great. But if you don’t have a security system, here are some other ideas (which are still good to use even if you do have a security system).

Statistics say that most burglaries happen during the day

It’s possible though, since more people are working from home or not working at all, those statistics may change. However, since some people still work outside the home, their home is unoccupied during the day.

So make it look like someone is home, even if you will only be gone a few hours.

Tune your radio (some people still have them) to a weather or all-talk station and leave it on. Or put a podcast on your Bluetooth speaker. Use a volume level that can just barely be heard from outside of your home/apartment. It will provide the illusion of muffled voices and will sound like people are inside.

Leave the TV on. Or use a TV Simulator Light which uses random patterns of flickering lights to resemble that of a TV. But make sure to close your drapes so no one can see that it’s just a light.

If you’ll be gone for several days, remember to stop the newspaper and mail delivery. Have a friend/neighbor shovel your driveway in winter, mow your grass in summer, remove flyers from your door and/or bring your garbage cans up away from the curb.

Burglars don’t like lights

Burglars do not want to be seen. So if they are “working” after dark, they look for homes that are dark and quiet.

When a burglar sees a that a home has lights blazing near the doors and in the yard, he’ll likely pass it up for a different target.

Motion lights are great. Not only do they shine a light on a burglar, they also alert you that he is there.

Illuminate areas around doors, windows, and blind spots. Install the lights high up on the exterior walls so a burglar can’t easily disable them. Be sure motion-sensor lights are in the right position so they will pop on when you want them to.

Consider using lights that automatically go on at night and off at dawn.

If you will be gone overnight, put lights on timers in various rooms inside the house. Don’t just use one light on one timer. It’s a dead giveaway that no one is home.

Use several lights, in several rooms, set at different times, to mimic lighting in an occupied home.

Don’t Hide Keys Outside

There are articles all over the internet about “great places to hide your keys outside your home.” But really, burglars know about all of those places. They use the internet, too.

Don’t hide keys outside your home. If you really need to have a spare key around, leave it with a neighbor or friend.

Burglars Know Where to Look for Valuables

What happens if a burglar does successfully break into your home?

Make it very difficult for him to find your valuables. (We’re talking jewelry, money, tablets, etc., here. We know that hiding large electronics every time you leave your home would be impractical. Not to mention a little crazy.)

Btw, do you think your valuables are safe in your sock drawer, or in your freezer? Nope. I used to think that, too. But, they aren’t.

Burglars will most likely check your freezer, medicine cabinet, dresser drawers and bedside table.

It’s unusual for them to go into kids’ rooms. Also, since a burglar won’t want to take the time to break into your safe, he’ll take it with him, unless it’s bolted down. And if you do have a safe, hiding it would be a good idea.

Be Creative When Hiding Your Valuables

If you have shelving with books on them, you could buy a used book (that matches the type and style of your books) and hollow it out.

There are ready-made book safes available for purchase. But don’t buy one unless it looks like a real book and matches the style of your other books. Otherwise, it’ll stick out like a sore thumb.

You can also buy diversion safes that look like electrical outlets, soup cans, household cleaners, etc. But only use these if they look realistic and not out of place.

But remember, depending on how much time your burglar has to ransack your home, even the above ideas may not be foolproof.

So consider putting valuables in a safety deposit box. Especially if you’re going to be gone a while (like on a vacation).

Seconds Matter to a Burglar

The more delay you can cause a burglar, the more likely he’ll give up.

install reinforced security doors
put strong locks on the doors and use them
install door reinforcement hardware
keep your garage door closed
close and lock your windows
put a window security film on your windows to make them harder to smash.
use secondary locks and/or a rod in the track on sliding glass doors.

It’s scary to think that a burglar could be casing your home. But with simple changes in your habits, you can make your home safer.

~Shereen

Related Post: Beware Bad Advice -Home Safety

Join Personal Defense Connection on Tumblr