To protect your house from break-ins, focus on "hardening" your entry points. Start by installing heavy-duty deadbolts on exterior doors, adding shatter-resistant film to ground-floor windows, securing sliding glass doors with a sturdy security bar, and trimming overgrown shrubs that can provide cover for intruders.
Burglary Prevention Basics
Burglars hate anything that makes a break-in noisy, time-consuming, or highly visible. Criminals look for the path of least resistance; if a target requires too much effort or poses a high risk of getting caught, they will simply move on to an easier home.
These are the most common points of entry for home break-ins: Front door: 34% of burglars twist the doorknob and walk right in. First-floor windows: 23% use a first-floor open window to break into your home. Back door: 22% come in through the back door.
A good place to hide valuables could be the entrance area, for example, as it is often overlooked. An unused fireplace can also be used as a hiding place: simply remove the cover, place valuables inside and then close it again. It is unlikely that a thief will look there.
Nighttime Burglaries
Around 21.8% of burglaries happen at night, between midnight and 4 a.m. Some reports say the numbers are closer to 53% during the day and 47% at night, showing that while burglars prefer daytime, the danger is there all the time.
Home Security Cameras
Our best deterrent for burglars is the presence of an outdoor security camera. Having cameras mounted around your exterior home is a great way to prevent burglars from entering your home!
Which homes do burglars target?
Robbers and burglars are primarily deterred by the fear of getting caught, difficulty of entry, and lack of easy reward. The most effective deterrents include:
Never hide money in easily accessible, predictable, or climate-variable locations. Common spots like under mattresses, inside dresser drawers, freezer bags, or toilet tanks are the first places burglars check. Furthermore, avoid electrical appliances, as hidden items pose a serious fire hazard.
Finding ways to make it look like you're at home even when you're not is a great way to deter burglars. But it's also important to try to change up your routine every so often for the times you are home. Though burglars don't always stake out homes before they choose to break in, it does happen.
Perfume and fragrance: costly products that are relatively easy to steal. Small electrical goods and accessories: electric toothbrushes, smart speakers, iPads, headphones, shavers, data sticks. Smartphones are slightly less likely to be stolen because of robust security devices.
Avoid keeping your items in the prime spots like your master bedroom, bedroom closet, desk drawer in your study room, your jewelry box, or the cabinet in the hallway. These are the most common places where burglars search for these items.
18 Ways to Theft-Proof Your Home Inside and Out
The most effective burglar deterrents rely on a combination of visual friction and making your home look occupied. According to former burglars and security experts, visible CCTV cameras, security system signage, and large, barking dogs top the list. Most thieves are opportunists who avoid difficult targets.
Leaving a light on at night can deter burglars by eliminating dark hiding spots, but leaving the same light burning 24/7 can actually signal that you are not home. Security experts recommend specific lighting habits to maximize your home's safety:
Preventing nighttime break-ins comes down to making your home an unappealing and difficult target. The most actionable steps include keeping exterior motion-sensor lights on, ensuring all entry points are locked with deadbolts, and securing sliding doors with heavy-duty rods or security film.
On average, a burglar spends 8 to 12 minutes inside a house. They typically gain entry in less than a minute by kicking in a door or smashing a window and prioritize grabbing high-value, easily transportable items before quickly fleeing to avoid police detection.
Thieves prioritize speed and target areas where cash, jewelry, and electronics are most commonly kept. Because most burglaries last only a few minutes, they rarely waste time searching every room.
Robberies happen in both daytime and nighttime. It depends upon the location, situation, human activity around the target, and the area of interest where the burglars want to strike. Specific hours of robberies usually fall between 9 p.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.
The average burglar has only two options for entering your residence: doors and windows. Examine your entry points and see how well they would stand up to a thief. Doors and windows can be fashionably secured with ornate, yet sturdy, door handles and locks.
Burglars prioritize portable, high-value, and untraceable items that can be quickly grabbed and resold for fast cash.
Like telling your lights to turn on and off when you're miles away.
Protecting your home's access points means making sure your doors, windows and locks are sturdy. "Deadbolts are definitely a good thing," says Hsiung. Also, make sure your door is a solid wood or metal construction with a good frame. "If the wood is deteriorated, it won't take much to force open," he says.
Effective home invasion deterrents rely on a layered approach: visual deterrents to make your home look unappealing, physical reinforcements to delay entry, and alarm systems to alert you. The most actionable defenses include installing heavy-duty deadbolts, reinforcing door jambs with steel strike plates, and adding motion-sensing exterior floodlights.