Being a homeowner is no simple task. The responsibilities of homeownership are wide-reaching, requiring a significant amount of attention to detail to ensure that your home is protected at all times.
But beyond basic home maintenance requirements going overlooked, your home may be at risk for another reason altogether: It might be a target for criminals.
There are a number of ways your home could be at risk for break-ins and theft. What do these risks look like? Here are seven security risks you may have overlooked as a homeowner, and that should be remediated immediately.
1. Hiding your keys in stereotypical places.
Do you have a spare set of house keys hidden somewhere around your property? Most people do. It’s a simple way to access your home in the event that you misplace your main house key. But are you the type of person who hides your key in a place that many other homeowners rely on?
For instance, is your spare key hidden behind that one big, unique rock in the garden? Is it hidden under your welcome mat? Is it placed beneath the strange-looking garden gnome by your front steps? These are all places that criminals know to look for—too many people rely on them, and they’ve become common knowledge for that very reason.
Key hiders remove this issue, though, as they allow you to hide items in spots that don’t seem obvious at all. Now you can keep a set of spare keys around without their hiding spot garnering the attention of an unwanted intruder.
2. Not having a security camera by your front door.
Hidden outdoor security cameras go a long way toward protecting your home. A security camera placed by the main entrances of your home—front door, rear sliding door, garage entrance—can be enough to deter a criminal. The reason is that when in plain sight, they’ll be noticed by someone attempting to case your home. The sight of a camera is an immediate deterrence, as it alerts them that they will be caught on camera if they attempt to do anything illegal, thus protecting you against a potential break-in.
3. Not having enough outdoor lighting.
Similar to having cameras placed on the outside of your home, pointed at entrances, criminals are deterred by the possibility of being seen—there’s a reason most crimes take place at night! To deter crimes from taking place, you should install outdoor lighting around your property, particularly around entrances of your home and property. This can include the end of your driveway, over your front door, and across your back porch.
Motion-activated lights are the best option when considering your choices, as they can conserve energy by not being on all night, only being activated when a person’s movements are captured in their field of view. The second those lights come on, a criminal is sure to be set running for the hills.
4. Keeping in-home valuables out in the open.
One of the biggest security risks you can do is bring attention to your home. One way that many people do this is by having their most valuable possessions out on display for others to see. This can include jewelry, paintings, heirlooms, silverware, and more. Anyone casing your home is going to look for these possessions when peering through your windows, determining whether your house is worth robbing or not.
Utilize secret hiding places to protect your most valuable items, whether from day-to-day or for when you go on vacation. While you won’t be able to hide larger items, such as a television, you can protect the items that matter most by storing them away inside of an in-home safe or an unexpected hiding spot.
5. Posting your address and life activities online.
Like the above, you don’t want to bring attention to your home. While it might feel tempting to post photos of your house from time to time, especially when you decorate your home for the holidays, you might be doxing yourself—allowing strangers to identify where you live.
This, alone, is bad enough, as they can begin following your life to determine when you are and aren’t at home. For instance, if you’ve already doxed your location, you’re in trouble if you begin posting Instagram photos of you and your family away on vacation. This is an immediate signal that your home is open for a potential break-in and major theft.
Avoid sharing too much information online. It could protect you in the end.
6. Letting your mail pile up while you’re away.
Like letting the internet know that you’re going away for vacation, there are other simple tips that can let a potential burglar know that you’re away from home. One of the simplest ones is allowing your mail to pile up in your house’s mailbox. An overflowing mailbox will be a sign that a family is away from home, likely on a vacation, leaving their house entirely vulnerable.
To avoid this, either contact the post office and ask them to suspend delivery service while you’re away or simply ask a friend or trusted neighbor to collect your mail for you every day. This simple task can help deter criminals from targeting your home while you’re away.
7. Not having a home security system.
No modern home should be without an alarm system. They’re affordable enough nowadays that anyone can implement a form of home security. Best of all, top-rated home security systems aren’t as expensive as they once were, meaning you can arm and protect your home without breaking the bank. Consider exploring the numerous options available to find the type of security that works best for your home.
If you recognized one of these risks to your home, you should take the time to fix it. Protect your home before it’s too late. The safety of your family and your wallet are at stake.
