Alexandra Ramirez
Making sure that you and your family are safe is one of the most important things that you can ever do as a homeowner. That means that you have to find a way to make sure that your house is as safe as possible. Despite the fact that everyone tries to do this to the best of their ability, you’re constantly hearing stories on the news about houses that have been broken into. How are you supposed to make sure that your house doesn’t become one of them? Below are seven things that a burglar won’t tell you.
However, if you know what these things are, you can make your house even more secure. Of course, if you have any doubts whatsoever about the security of your home because of something associated with your locks, you should contact a locksmith in Manassas right away so you can remedy the problem. Keep reading to find out what else you can do to keep you and your family safe from burglars.
1. They Case Your House Before They Rob It
You might be surprised that sometimes the person you’ve hired to mow your lawn or clean your house is actually doing that work as a front, so they can come back and rob you later. Most people never think about this, but it happens on a regular basis. It’s the perfect way for somebody to get access to your house, and in some cases, it gives them free reign to roam through every room of the house. That way they know exactly how many entrances you have, whether or not you have a security system and more than likely, where you keep your valuables. It’s definitely something to think about the next time you decide to hire someone you don’t know to do any kind of odd jobs around the house.
2. If Your Home Is Dark and Vacant, You’re More Likely to Get Robbed
This one should be a no-brainer. Burglars aren’t nearly as likely to try to break into your house when there’s obviously someone home. If they can see a flurry of activity, or if they hear a lot of noise, they are much more likely to move on to the next house. People that are in the business of robbing houses are always looking for the easiest target. If it looks like they might need to confront someone, they’re a lot less likely to break in.
You should never go on vacation and leave your house unattended. Have someone pick up the mail and the newspapers as well as go inside your house and check on things at least once a day. If you have someone you trust that’s willing to do it, get them to house-sit while you’re gone.
3. They Look for Signs of an Alarm System
It’s been said in the past that merely putting a sign out in the yard advertising an alarm system is enough to deter most would-be robbers. To a certain extent, this can be true. However, people who consider themselves hardcore burglars are likely to investigate a little further. Don’t be surprised if they end up looking through your windows in order to see whether or not there’s actually a keypad for a security system within view.
If you have a keypad that can be seen from an outside window, make sure you arm the system at all times, not just when it’s convenient. A system that is unarmed is no better than not having a system at all.
4. They Frequently Rob Houses During Bad Weather
Everybody thinks that they’re safer when the weather is bad because nobody wants to get out in it. That’s the perfect time for somebody that wants to break into your house to do exactly that.
5. That Stranger at Your Door That Asked for Directions Could Have Been a Burglar Knocking to See If You Were Home
It doesn’t always happen like you see in the movies. More often than not, someone that intends to rob your house in the real world is going to pretend they need directions or that they’re offering to do some type of work around the house, so they’re going to walk right up to the front door and knock on it. If you open it, they have an easy way out by asking where a certain building is so you’ll never know the difference. If you don’t answer it, that’s when they break in.
6. Unless You Bolt Down Your Safe, They Can Take It
So many people go to the trouble of buying a safe and locking all of their valuables in it, yet they don’t go to the trouble of bolting the safe to the floor. If you don’t, the person that breaks into your house isn’t going to have any trouble taking the entire safe with them.
7. Your House Is More Likely to Be Broken into If You Have Nice Landscaping
You might wonder what landscaping has to do with the chances of you being robbed. It all comes back to having nice things. If you go to the trouble to have a landscaped yard or you have a fancy car sitting in the driveway, the person that’s about to rob your house automatically assumes that you have nice things inside, too.
