Gone are the days when a decent sized moat, and a sturdy portcullis, could be relied upon for keeping unwanted guests from gaining entry to your home. And while today's invaders may be more interested in liberating your laptop and swiping your savings than purloining a pig or making off with your mirkin, we still need to take home security seriously.
Most burglars are opportunists, give them an easy option and they will take it. The first line of defense is common sense. Take a look around your home and see if you can identify any obvious points of entry. Are your doors secure? Most experts recommend fitting a deadbolt to all exterior doors as a sure fire way to deter the majority of non-professional thieves. Windows are a commonly accessed route into a property. However, most burglars will avoid drawing attention to their presence by noisily breaking glass, particularly in busy neighborhoods. Make sure all windows are closed and locked, whenever the house is unoccupied, and at night.
Planting thorny bushes such as roses, close to the wall and in front of ground floor windows, is a good way of deterring the casual intruder - but remember that more substantial vegetation can also obscure windows from the view of passers-by, and provide the burglar with a convenient screen, as they force entry at relative leisure.
It is important that you minimize the appeal of what you have in your home, to any prospective burglar. Keep easily carried, easily sold, household items out of view by closing curtains and blinds. Store expensive electrical items, purses and jewelry, away from the line of vision of anyone peering in through a window.
Generally speaking, dogs are excellent burglar deterrents and very few house-breakers will go near a place that has a barking canine inside. They don't know, as you might, that Rover is actually more likely to lick them to death than to take a chunk out of their behind, and it's simply not a chance most burglars will risk taking. And of course, all that yapping will draw unwanted attention from neighbors or sleeping occupants.
Alarm systems and security cameras will keep all but the most determined thieves at bay, and any signs you can display advertising your anti-theft measures will send the majority of burglars on their way. Of course, one doesn't actually need to have all the security items installed as implied on the warning signs, but not many opportunists are going to risk testing your honesty in this matter.
If you follow a few of these simple measures, you should be able to rest easy at night, safe in the knowledge that your chances of becoming a victim of household crime are, like the moat and portcullis, ancient history.
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