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13 Cheap Simple and Smart ways to secure your Home

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with IDTheftSecurity.com Inc

You don’t have to be wealthy to have a superbly protected home. You just need to have some common sense.

  1. Keep your doors locked overnight! Smoke blows through my ears and nostrils every time I read about someone “entering through an unlocked door” in the middle of the night and committing a sicko crime. This goes for windows, too. Rapists love to enter through unlocked windows. If you’re a big male bruiser with no children, and these things don’t scare you, then consider that you could still be up against a burglar with a gun to your head as you’re counting sheep.
  2. Keep doors and windows locked during the daytime when you’re home, too. Not all intruders operate in the dead of night.
  3. Keep the garage locked: always.
  4. Though some locks cost a lot more than others, we’re talking about door locks, not cars. If you want a $60 lock badly enough, this money will come out of the woodwork.
  5. Make your home looked lived in at all times. The BeOn smart lighting home security system is affordable and doesn’t have the month to month monitoring costs.
  6. Always keep the alarm on. A deranged sociopath doesn’t care if you’re home and it’s 2:00 in the afternoon when he needs money for his next drug fix.
  7. Make sure that your valuables are not visible through any windows.
  8. Never hide keys near doors because burglars will find them. Go keyless entry or leave keys with a neighbor.
  9. When you’re out, leave a TV on so that its flickering light makes your house look occupied. Use automatic timed lighting devices.
  10. Never announce on social media your travel plans.
  11. Always break down the boxes that expensive items came in before leaving them curbside for trash pickup.
  12. Put a vacation stop on your mail and newspaper delivery when you travel if you don’t have a trusted neighbor who can collect them for you.
  13. You won’t appear to be on vacation if a neighbor uses your driveway to park their car.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BeOn Home Security discussing burglar proofing your home on NECN. Disclosures.

Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Thanks for sharing these great tips.  We should always remember the importance of security at home.

Jan 01, 2015 02:41 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Cheap and simple will always get someone's attention. So basic and yet so many people ignore these tips.

Jan 01, 2015 03:37 AM
Richard Iarossi
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Crofton, MD
Crofton MD Real Estate, Annapolis MD Real Estate

Robert,

The facebook posts about going away on vacation drive me nuts. Why don't you just leave the keys under the doormat too.

Rich

Jan 01, 2015 04:37 AM
Joe Pryor
The Virtual Real Estate Team - Oklahoma City, OK
REALTOR® - Oklahoma Investment Properties

I would add that when you are changing door locks be sure to buy tap and bump proof locks. It is amazing how easy it is to get a door to open this way.

Jan 01, 2015 04:56 AM
Steve Higgins
RE/MAX Kelowna - Kelowna, BC

Hi Robert,

Happy New Year. Good post and reminder for all of us! We always use timers on our lights when we are home or away.

Jan 01, 2015 10:15 AM
Bill Reddington
Re/max By The Sea - Destin, FL
Destin Florida Real Estate

It is pretty sad that you have to do all these things to make yourself secure. Even here you have to be careful and assume the worst.

Jan 01, 2015 10:35 AM
Andrew Payne Realtor® Richmond VA Homes For Sale~804-938-5257~
Piedmont Real Estate - Richmond, VA
Richmond, VA, Real Estate, SRES®, NAR Green

 These are great ideas, Robert!  There are a lot of inexpensive things we can do to enhance security for our homes.  One simple thing we've tried is motion sensor lighting near the front door.  Strategic lighting really helps!

Jan 01, 2015 10:53 AM
Mike McCann Nebraska Land Broker
Mike McCann - Broker, Mach1 Realty Farm & Commercial Land Broker-Auctioneer Serving Nebraska - Kearney, NE
Farm & Commercial Property For Sale 308-627-3700

#10 should be about #1 or 2.  I have friends do that all of the time and I can't understand why...

 

Jan 01, 2015 11:32 AM
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

Robert - these are great tips.  We used to keep our door unlocked when I was growing up in Okla.  Now, I wouldn't think of it.  Those were different times.

Jan 01, 2015 11:35 AM
Cindy Dudley
Brockway Realty, LLC - League City, TX

Great advice.  #10 kills me too.  I think most pele don't realize how easy it is to look up a home address.  I always leave someone to house sit and have two large dogs that have free reign of the house and I still don't post until I return.

Jan 01, 2015 12:28 PM
Ernest Villafranca
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate - Oakland, CA
3923 Grand Ave. Oakland CA, 510-418-9443

BeOn smart lights looked like a great idea but I didn't quite get it. How much do they cost? How do they work? Is it a developing project?

Jan 01, 2015 12:53 PM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Burlington, MA
Metro Boston Homes For Sale

Smart lights are a great way to deter someone to enter the house. And alarm system is a must.

Jan 01, 2015 02:43 PM
Joshua Frederick
Home Inspector for ASPEC Residential Services, LLC - Defiance, OH
Home Inspector in Defiance & all of Northwest Ohio

Don't forget about deadbolts!  Regular door locks are super easy to break in (and super quiet.)  Also, with overhead garage doors with openers- zip tie the safety release! And don't forget to deadbolt your garage-to-house door as an extra precaution.

Great post and reminder!  Thanks for sharing.

Jan 01, 2015 08:59 PM
Blatt + Cutino
Coldwell Banker Realty - Monterey, CA
Broker-Associate 831/206-8070*Call today*

Another good reminder for the new year! Sad but true! Wish we didn't need reminders like these!

Jan 01, 2015 10:32 PM
Richard Robibero, e-Pro, ABR, SRS
Panorama R.E. Limited - Toronto, ON
Selling Your Home as if it were My Own!

The travel plans point is something I stress to others Robert Siciliano . But I totally get wanting to share the news that you're travelling and the weather is great. You just have to figure what's more important.

Jan 01, 2015 10:41 PM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Robert, you left out the one I think is one of the best deterrents, at least to your garden variety burglar - get a dog!  Even Willie the Labradoodle has a bark that sounds menacing enough that I've never had a break in on his watch. 

Jan 01, 2015 11:33 PM
Jerry Lucas
ABC Legal Docs LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Notary Training, Consulting. Colorado Springs, CO

I also have motion sensor floodlights for my front and rear entrance.  I have a motion sensor security camera for my front entrance.  My front door has a peephole, deadbolt and a floor bolt.  My rear entrance also has a motion sensor buzzer. 

Deadbolts should be installed with long screws to prevent a door from being kicked in.

Jan 02, 2015 12:45 AM
Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp
SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties - Bourbonnais, IL
The Home Inspector With a Heart!

Never been robbed but I'm very diligent when it comes to safety in the home. Good tips, thanks

Jan 02, 2015 03:00 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

Those are excellent tips for home safety, Robert!  LIke others who have commented, I think #10 is an especially important tip.  I see that one violated all the time.

Jan 02, 2015 10:54 AM
Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

Great advice. #10 should be a priority. We sometimes forget that we are actually inviting trouble when we announce on social media about our travel plans. Or what about the times we post photos during our vacation? Guess, who is also watching our posts...

Jan 02, 2015 03:03 PM