It’s a sound that everyone dreads: that unexplained bump in the night that sends you running for the bat you keep behind the door. Was it the wind? A raccoon? Your imagination? Unfortunately, most people don’t think about home security until they’ve already suffered a break in, but there are many easy and inexpensive ways to deter thieves and make your home a safer place.

The Mind of a Criminal

To really burglar proof your home you need to be able to see you home as a potential thief sees it. Walk or drive slowly by your house and look at the exterior. Ask yourself, “If I were going to break into this house what features would I take advantage of?” Do you leave your garage door open while doing yard work or working in the house? Do you store ladders alongside the house where they could provide access to a criminal? Look at every aspect of your home from an outsider’s point of view and look for weaknesses that might tempt a criminal.

Work from the Outside In

Some of the best deterrents for thieves are found on the exterior of your home. Start by evaluating your landscaping. Arrange easy lines of sight into your yard for neighbors and consider a chain link fence instead of a solid wood one, which can provide the perfect cover for a thief to work undetected. Overgrown landscaping is an invitation to criminals and provides them with the perfect place to hide. Utilize the 3ft./6ft. rule when planting trees and shrubs. Trim tree branches up to six feet off the ground and shrubs down to three feet. This creates a “window effect” in your yard and minimizes hiding places for burglars. You might also consider planting thorny shrubs or bushes beneath windows.

Another easy way to keep criminals at bay is to install security lighting around the exterior of your home. Make sure all possible entry points on the outside of your home are well lit, including doors and windows on the main floor and basement windows. High-pressure sodium lights and mercury vapor lights are economical and illuminate a larger area than regular incandescent lights. You might also consider motion trigger lights that turn on when they sense movement.