Most people worry about how to keep their home safe and secure to protect themselves and their possessions. You really want to be certain that your home is safe whether you are there or not. From experience, I can tell you that it is very disconcerting to come home and discover your house has been searched and robbed. My home has been robbed three times over the years. It can make sleeping a little tough for a week or two. The solution is to find out how to keep the thieves out in the first place. I have learned a few things that have been extremely helpful in protecting my own home and neighborhood from these experiences.
Home security starts with your neighbors.
Find at least one trusted neighbor who is a little nosy. Tell them when you are leaving and when you will return. This way they can use their snooping problem for your benefit. A neighborhood watch program is great in a stable neighborhood. Before trusting your neighbors too far, ask around and get reports from others in the neighborhood. Most people like to gossip enough that it is not too tough to get them to tell you everything that they know about everyone in the area.
A house sitter is a good idea if you live in a less safe area.
Many times you can get someone who is willing to stay for free as long as you furnish the food. The activity in the house will usually scare off all but the worst of intruders. Of course, you want to be careful not to select house sitters who will eat more than the burglars would steal.
Get good door locks.
Multiples of two or three are better. Keep in mind your locks are only as good as the construction that holds them. You may need to reinforce the jambs and perhaps upgrade the door. Storm windows or high quality multi-pane replacement windows can slow down entry. Thieves really prefer an easy entrance.
Alarms are good if they combine lots of exterior noise with a contact to a security company.
Get the kind that turn on lights too, if possible. Security cameras are good only if you have both hidden and unhidden devices. Seeing a camera will thwart some intruders. Other bold ones will find a way to disable it. The hidden camera will still provide the evidence you need to help find the crooks.
Look at the recordings from time to time. You may spot someone checking out your house that has not yet gained access. This is especially true of younger thieves and vandals. They generally need to raise their comfort level about your house before trying their hand at getting into it.
Gimmicks can sometimes work. Stickers that say you have a security system when you don't. Fake cameras come under this heading. Fake dog barking or timed lighting. A sophisticated criminal will figure out the fake from the real thing, but the guy looking for a quick hit may be deterred. Since most intruders are opportunistic, these can give you a great deal of security for a small amount of cost.
Learn the ins and outs of your neighborhood.
Watch for people or cars that don't belong. Don't be afraid to investigate. Ask them why they are there. This will give you a good straight look at their face, car, etc. Bad guys don't like to be identified too easily. It might be enough to send them to a different area to work. Keep a pad of paper and write down things like license numbers with the time of day that you saw them, where they were, and what they appeared to be doing. This is far better than relying on memory.
No security is fool proof, but with a little ingenuity and work, you can make your home fairly safe. Try not to ever let down your guard if your neighborhood has any history at all of break-ins.
