What does every burglar have in common? The need to get into your home and take whatever they can in the shortest possible time.
As time goes on, new methods and tools become available for the modern day burglar. Home security is becoming a modern trend these days, and more and more homes are being equipped with state of the art burglar alarms. However, burglar alarms will not deter a burglar from your home, but it will frighten him once he has made entry into your home. Unfortunately not all homes are burglar proof, but there are tricks and methods you can take to make your home less attractive to a burglar.
So what makes a home attractive to a burglar?
Piled up newspapers and mail
Unkempt lawn or landscape
The absence of a car in the driveway
Unlocked or open windows
Privacy Fences
Usually a burglar will always check the front door before making his grand entrance. First step is to knock on the door to see if anyone is home. Makes sense right? A burglar will knock on the door to see if anyone is home. If someone is home and answers the door, the burglar will just come up with a fabricated story. Now, the whole idea is to make sure that no one is there, because who wants to break into a home with someone in it? Not a burglar! A burglar will try to avoid as much confrontation as possible.
Your front door is usually the first line of entry for a burglar. If the door is unlocked, you just made the criminal’s job easier. However, if it’s locked a crow or pry bar is usually the tool of choice to open your door.
Here are 4 tips you can take to make your front door impenetrable:
1. Toughened Locking Mechanisms – You should replace all your exterior doors with hardened deadbolt locks. Make sure the throw bolt is at least 1 inch long.
2. Door Hinges – It’s recommended that you re-hang your doors with the door hinges on the inside of your home. Hinges on the outside of doors are defenseless. The pins of the hinges can be removed causing the door to open.
3. Strike Plates – This is that metal plate that wraps the lock set. This is the hole in the door frame where the lock sets. Replacing flimsy strike plates with heavy duty ones should do the trick. The strike plate should be set with four 3 inch screws.
4. Door Frame – Even if you have the strongest door in the market, that doesn’t mean anything. If you have a weak door frame, a crow or pry bar will easily tear apart the door frame for easy access into your home. You can secure the door frame to the walls by mounting a few 3 inch screws along the frame. You want to make sure the screws reach the wall stud so it fortifies your door frame.
So have you ever wondered what a burglar is doing inside your home?
Once a burglar has made entry into your home it doesn’t really take him much time to take your personal possessions. Would you believe me if I told you it usually takes a burglar less than 8-12 minutes to burglarize your home? Well, it’s true! Burglars usually have the same search pattern, which is why they are so quick. It’s pretty much universal for every burglar. It usually starts with the master bedroom, bathroom, family room, and kitchen.
Start the clock!
1-2 Minutes – The first room a burglar will go for is the master bedroom. Avoid keeping money and valuables under the bed, in the closets, bedside tables, or your dresser.
3-4 Minutes – In some cases a burglar will check your bathroom for prescription narcotics. This is quick cash for a burglar!
5-6 Minutes– Time is winding down so anything a burglar sees is up for grabs. The next stop in the house will usually be the family room, living room, or kitchen. iPods, laptops, or cameras are lying around and these are easy to sell items, so consider them gone! Also if a burglar is persistent, he will usually look for personal items such car or house keys, credit card info, etc.
7-8 Minutes – It’s about that time to make the exit. Burglars usually work in pairs so at about this time a call to the backup driver is made and the goods are loaded into the vehicle and poof, they’re gone!
So what can you do to avoid a burglar from choosing and invading your home? A wireless security system is your safest bet. A burglar will usually take less than two minutes to break into your home. If they can’t do it in that time frame, they’ll just move onto their next target. Following these tips and tricks will help you to deter a burglar from breaking into your home.
Peace of mind can be lost due to a home burglary. It’s very important to protect your home. However, you have to accept that all homes are exposed to a burglary. It’s up to you to take simple steps to protect your family and your belongings.
This guest post was written by Kevin Raposo, a blogger for SimpliSafe. Kevin covers issues related to home security, crime, safety, and consumer issues. Kevin is a dedicated writer and musician, spreading the word through music and blogging. SimpliSafe is a leader in the wireless home security field.
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