How Burglars Target Homes and How You Can Better Protect Yours

Burglars know how to spot vulnerabilities and have gotten smarter about how and when they strike. While residential burglaries have decreased over recent years (likely due to more people working from home), millions still occur annually at an average cost of $2700 to the homeowner.

With new technologies available to thieves, there are still some common things they look for.

Unlocked doors

You may think burglars sneak through windows or garage doors more often than simply walking through an unlocked door, but they don’t. Homeowners who leave and forget to lock a door are some of the quickest and easiest targets. We’ve all seen videos of would-be thieves going through parking lots and testing car doors to see if they open. They are doing the same thing at residences.

A survey by YouGov shows that 7% of American homeowners don’t lock their doors when they go out, and shockingly, 23% don’t lock them when they’re home. Burglars prefer empty houses, but crime reports show that when they do enter an occupied home, burglary is often not the only crime that occurs.

You may also have read stories of gangs of thieves who work in teams and enter homes without concern for whether someone is home or not. A driver drops someone off, who then wanders into a home through an unlocked door. If caught, they will claim they thought they heard someone calling for help or that they thought someone else lived there. This usually happens in broad daylight. The intruder then signals his driver, who comes quickly to pick him up and flee.

Windows are also vulnerable entry points. If a window is partially hidden behind a bush and unlocked, this is a thief’s golden ticket.

And don’t forget garage doors. Many homeowners do not lock the door leading from an attached garage into the house but forget to close the garage door when they leave. This is an open invitation to burglars.

Homes that aren’t as visible to the public

Thieves will more often rob a home in the middle of a block than one on a corner lot. Homes hidden behind walls and tall hedges are also preferred targets.

Apartments on corners, however, are preferred as they have two walls to the outside, reducing the risk of being heard by neighbors. Stairways are also usually in the corners of buildings, which give burglars quicker access to escape.

Homes that are clearly unoccupied

As stated before, burglars would much prefer no one be at home when they rob it. Garage doors left open with no cars parked inside, homes that stay dark night after night while homeowners are on vacation, and even just an empty driveway can make the home look like an attractive target.

Repeat break-ins

Studies have shown that if you were burglarized once, there is a good chance you will be again within 2 weeks. If a burglar sees something he couldn’t take the first time, he may come back for it. He will also realize you will likely replace the TV or stereo sooner rather than later, and he knows how to gain entrance. Plus, he’ll want to capitalize on you not having had the time to replace or repair a door or window he used to get in.

This applies to your neighbors as well. They are more likely to be hit now that the thief knows the area better and may have stuck around to see response times, traffic patterns, and your neighbor’s habits.

Smart locks help prevent burglaries, but only if you use them. Security systems have been shown to prevent burglaries, but you need to turn them on.

The Most Common Spots in Your Home Where Burglars Look

And what you can do to protect your personal belongings

Most burglars want quick access to valuable items they can sell easily. You can better protect your personal property by knowing where thieves will look first:

Front Porch – Deliveries and packages are some of the easiest and most often stolen items. Thieves don’t even have to get into your home to make off with some valuable items. Track your packages to see when they are scheduled for delivery and make sure you are there or that a neighbor knows to get it off the porch for you. You can also invest in a locked box that sits on your porch where smaller packages can be put. It is advised that you secure this box to the porch so it can’t be carried away.

Master Bedroom—This is often the first place they will check since many homeowners keep their most precious items in the bedroom for convenience, such as jewelry, cash, and even guns.

You can install a safe that is bolted to the floor, as well as motion detectors that will alert you at night or if you are away.

Dining Room - Burglars are hoping to score some sterling silver here. Most stolen silver is melted down and sold to be used in electronics. Sophisticated thieves may consider the crystal or rug, but the silver is easier to run off with. If your silver is on display, consider putting it in a locked cabinet. Flatware can also be locked away in a silver chest.

Living Room – Artwork, TVs, stereos, and gaming consoles live in the living room or den. Be sure to keep your curtains or blinds drawn so these are not as visible, and consider cable locks for larger pieces so they are harder to remove.

Home Office - Checks, personal information, laptops, tablets, and credit cards are the treasures being sought in this room. Lock what you can in a cabinet and use encryption and password protection on all devices and online account access.

Garage – Tools, sports equipment, and another way into your home. Be sure to keep all doors closed and locked, even when you are there. Store tools and equipment in bins or cabinets and not out in the open.

Backyard – Landscaping equipment, frills, bicycles, and even outdoor furniture are tempting to burglars. The backyard also offers another possible way into your home. Make sure you have locks on your gates and lock up your bikes. Motion sensor lights can keep burglars away as well. If you want to have a little fun, you can also install a motion-sensor water sprinkler, which can help with other pests like deer, raccoons, and neighbor’s cats.

Bathrooms – Prescription medicines, especially narcotics, are very valuable on the street, and thieves often choose only that room to rob because of it. Keep only essential medications in the bathroom and store the rest in a lockable medicine box, which you store somewhere else. Be sure to get rid of expired or unused prescriptions to reduce the temptation for a return visit. Don’t give a thief the ability to know what you have, knowing you’ll need to replace it.

With enough time, a burglar will go through every part of your house, including your attic, basement, and kids’ rooms. Simple steps like locking drawers and doors everywhere you can, hiding carryable things so they aren’t as visible, and installing alarms and motion-activated lights can make your home far less attractive to burglars and save you from the grief and aggravation of recovering.

Other Quick and Easy Ways to Deter Burglars

These steps will make your home far less attractive to burglars and are easy to implement.

• Keep hedges and foundation planting trimmed so a burglar can't use them to hide behind or so they don't keep people from seeing that he is getting into your home.

• Install a real or fake security camera that is visible from the street.

• Install motion sensor lights.

• Use a fake security system sticker or sign.

• Keep your car key next to your bed (preferably in an RFID case) so you can hit the car alarm button if you feel someone is trying to get into your house.

• Play a radio, keep lights on timers, or keep the TV on when you are not home.

• Install a grade A door bolt, and replace the smaller screws in your door plate with 3" ones.

• If replacing windows, do so with double-glazed ones that are harder to break. You can also install devices that prevent the window from rising beyond a certain point in case a thief cuts the glass to release a lock.

• Keep a dog at home or pretend you have one. Place a large dog bowl of water by your door and toss dog toys in the yard, or even purchase a motion sensor dog barking device.

• Install a video doorbell that will alert you to someone in your yard. Then you can announce that you see them and are calling the police.

• Make sure your neighbors (the ones you trust) know when you'll be out of town or on a different schedule. Yes, they probably know when you typically come and go!

  
  

Remember – it is always smart to make sure your insurance company has a list of all of your personal belongings, their appraised value, and even copies of receipts from when you purchased them. Doing this will help your recovery go much faster and be less stressful.

Sources: CNet, Bob Vila, Daily Home Safety