Here in this home security blog, we talk a lot about home security and preventing burglaries in the first place. But knowing what we should do and actually doing it, well, those are two different things! We know! So this time, we’re going to try and encourage you to take action to protect your home in a new way: We’re going to use some reverse psychology and give you advice on what to do to make your home attractive to burglars instead of deterring them. That way, if you see something on the list that you are doing, you’ll know to stop.
Although there are more, here are four of the best ways to make your home more inviting to a burglar:
1. Let them know your house is empty
One of the best ways to make your home more inviting to a burglar is to not be there yourself, and to advertise that fact. That way, when they’re passing by while scoping out your neighborhood, they’ll know your house is an easy target. Ways to make sure they know your house is empty include:
- Leave all the lights off so the house is dark inside and out.
- Leave the curtains open so it’s easy to look in and see no one is there.
- Make sure you don’t have any cars parked in front of the house.
- Let mail, newspapers and packages pile up on the front step.
2. Give them easy access
Burglars will find a way in, if they can do so fairly easily, or even if they have to work for it. Ways to make it easy for them include:
- Leave doors or windows unlocked.
- Use flimsy locks that are easily broken.
- Keep bushes and shrubs nice and tall and thick around first story windows and doors.
- Don’t put dowels in the tracks of your sliding doors or windows, so they can be opened all the way.
3. Provide hiding places
A sure way to make your home inviting to a burglar is to give them a place to hide while they work their way through your lock or break your window. Here are some easy ways to provide the kind of coverage burglars look for:
- Offer overgrown shrubs and bushes next to a door or window.
- Make sure your outdoor lighting leaves shadows around entry points, including entry points to your garage.
- Don’t use any motion-detecting lights outside, that will turn on if someone is in the yard.
- If you’re going to build a shed or some other small structure, like a place to stash your garbage can, make sure it offers a good hiding place near an entry point.
4. Do NOT get a home security system
One of the best ways to deter burglars is an advertised home security system, so make sure not to have one if you want your home to be appealing to someone who wants to break in. Although a home security system won’t guarantee your home’s safety, it can be a very good deterrent, both in preventing a break-in in the first place, and in deterring a burglar who has broken in and then hears an alarm going off.
There you have it: four ways to make your home more appealing to a burglar. And if you don’t want to say “come on in” to that person who wants to take your possessions for his or her own, make sure you work your way down this list and stop doing the things that make your home an attractive target!
