12 Ways to Protect Your Home While You’re Away

[Music] twelve ways to protect your home while you're away according to FBI statistics around 1.5 million burglaries took place in the US alone in 2017 but is there a way to protect your home from burglars if you can't afford an expensive security system there are simple yet effective tips that will make your home your fortress and even discourage thieves from breaking into your property before you learn about them don't forget to hit that subscribe button and ring the notification bell to join us on the Brightside [Music] 12 hide valuable belongings while strangers are in your home while a plumber is fixing something under your sink they have enough time to have a look around they can turn out to be bad guys who inform their accomplices since most burglars aim for cash jewelry and electronics leaving any of these items out makes it too easy and appealing for them to snatch them immediately of course this doesn't mean that all plumbers and other workers are burglars but you should always be careful there are so many companies on the market these days offering house maintenance services and some of those great online deals could turn out to be a hoax it never hurts to get acquainted with the companies reviews before calling an electrician or plumber you can also get recommendations from friends and family 11 don't let a thief hear your phone ringing some thieves get creative and use a landline phone trick where they call your home phone and wait for an answer if no one picks up a phone it means that nobody's home if you mute or lower the sound you'll confuse a potential burglar since they won't hear any sound 10 install a reliable lock according to FBI data it takes burglars between 90 seconds and 12 minutes to break into a home 34 percent of cases in the u.s. saw entry game through the front door the locks most at risk of lock snapping or cylinder ones the most complicated locks are those that can be opened with lever keys it's a good idea to lock your door with a pin tumbler and lever key since this combination is the most reliable to ensure your house has the maximum protection get a grade 1 or grade 2 heavy-duty deadbolt lock it's called dead because it doesn't have any springs in it never label your keys as this makes it so much easier for burglars to find and break into your home if you lose them also thieves know all too well about your top secret hiding spots or keys under doormats or among fake rocks to name a few instead leave your spare key with a neighbor or someone else you trust if you're looking for a fancier solution install a smart lock that can be controlled from your smartphone it could be a supplement to your deadbolt that'll keep track and inform you of any front door activity you can email access keys to close friends and control the door remotely while you're away 9 protect your windows another popular way to enter a property is through first-floor windows FBI reports show that around 23 percent of burglars in the US choose this way of entering homes that's why you should consider installing grills if you live on the first or second floor don't forget that you should have an escape route in case of an emergency so buy grills that can be unlocked if grills don't sound like a desirable means of protection to you reinforce the windows themselves use protective film security screens or shatterproof glass 8 take care of the territory surrounding your property do you know what burglars are looking for abandoned homes that no one will even care about in the event of a break-in if you have a house don't let burglars think that no one lives there take care of the lawn in the summer and keep the paths clean in winter trim the shrubbery around the entrance to rob criminals of a hiding spot by your front door it will make thieves think twice before attempting to get in make it easy for the police to identify your house put a large reflective number on your house and mailbox burglars like to get into dark houses to win some extra moments to get out again I'm talking about those few extra seconds the police will take to find your house those seconds will count finally walk around your neighborhood to see if it has any graffiti or trash you can organize a cleanup with your neighbors or ask the Public Works Department to help make it a better place not only will this make the area more beautiful but it will send an important message to criminals they'll know that the people who live in the area care about it and each other and that neighbors are unlikely to stay quiet if someone tries to rob the house next to them 7 use thieves fears against them these are scared of being caught a simple but extremely effective way of scaring them off is putting out a sign that says protected property this trick will make burglars think twice before breaking in 6 dispose of boxes for expensive items correctly if you're throwing away a box from a new TV or refrigerator you're likely to attract potential burglars who will want to steal your new item to avoid trouble tear the box apart before throwing it away 5 pretend imagine you are leaving your home for a while you're already in the street and you suddenly notice a strange person they might be waiting for you to leave so they can break in don't be shy turn around and wave your hand as if someone stayed at home for check your locks if you notice scratches on your lock it might mean that burglars have tried to open it before you open the door and enter your home check your locks so you can react quickly if there's an emergency 3 let sunlight it if windows are curtain for a few days in a row it can indicate that nobody's home as there aren't that many people who like to live without sunlight when you leave your property make sure you don't completely close your curtains this will create the illusion that your home to put plants with abrasive foliage in front of your fence and windows to turn an ordinary fence into a barrier plant something with abrasive foliage like a dog rose or Dewberry plant you can also play into roses right under your windows all these plants will make burglars mission really challenging breaking into your house will not only be difficult because of locks or security system but also be physically painful one don't give out any information over the phone you should be careful with unfamiliar service companies that call and ask questions about your workplace and ours or about the people who live with you it's one of the methods thieves used to find out the history of our property and the most suitable time for breaking in according to research statistics from Jacksonville State University most burglars choose to break into homes between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when most people are supposed to be a way of work do you use any tricks against burglars share your experience with us in the comments remember give this video a like share with your friends and click subscribe to stay on the bright side of life [Music]

Channel: BRIGHT SIDE

Views: 2,339,061

Rating: 4.7756529 out of 5

Keywords: protect your home, your property, safety, burglary, security system, burglary fail, burglary tricks, safety tips, safety rules, survival tips

Id: OJ3evO5eXEM

Length: 7min 49sec (469 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 12 2018