40 Practical Tips to Keep Your Home Safe and Secure

You have undoubtedly seen tips for protecting your home, but you might not have seen them all. In no particular order, here are 40 tips that you can use today to keep professional burglars from targeting your home and keep safe from hazards: 

1. Install a peephole.
2. Keep your doors locked all of the time.
3. If you do not have a large dog, set it up so that it looks like you do. Get a worn leash and drape it over a chair outside or place an old dog bowl with water out on your deck.
4. Speaking of dogs, place a “beware of dog” sign on your property, specifically the back.
5. Do not leave ladders outside. At least lock them up.
6. Never leave the garage door open unless you are watching it at all times.
7. If there is no man living in the home, leave an old pair of men’s work boots out near the front door.
8. Place fake…or even real…video cameras outdoors near the front door.
9. Install a security system that includes lights with motion detectors at all points of entry.
10. Use deadbolts on all doors.
11. Stash your valuables in socks inside of your child’s room, such as in the closet up high. Burglars rarely check a child’s room.
12. You should also store valuables in a locked, fireproof safe.
13. Don’t conceal your windows with shrubbery. Instead, plant thorny bushes by all of your windows.
14. Cover windows with penetration-proof film. Keep shades down and all curtains drawn during the night.
15. Make sure there are no valuables that potential burglars can see through the windows.
16. Consider building a “secret room” in your home, like a panic room.
17. If travelling, put a hold on your mail and newspaper delivery. Also, make sure you have someone mow your lawn and talk to a neighbor about parking their car in your driveway.
18. When away at night, set up a timed lighting system.
19. Do not post any vacation or evening plans on social media…they are watching.
20. Check all of your windows and make sure the locks work. Keep your windows locked at night.
21. Put a home security sign in both the front and back yard of the home.
22. Put security company decals on your windows.
23. Don’t answer the door unless you have a visitor that you are expecting.
24. Clean up brush or dried leaves from the yard. These are excellent hiding places for thieves.
25. Make sure your voice mail recording doesn’t tell callers that you are not home.
26. Make sure the address numbers on your home are large and easy to see for police responding to an alarm.
27. When getting service in your home (technicians, installers, cleaners etc), check windows after they leave. They might unlock windows for burglars.
28. When working with salespeople, service people, survey takers, cabbies, or anyone else, do not reveal any travel plans.
29. Keep all flammables away from your home.
30. If you smoke, rinse all butts with water. Only then should you throw them away.
31. Do not leave the home if you have a candle or fireplace burning.
32. Unplug all countertop appliances when not in use.
33. Give your spare key to a neighbor that you trust. Do not leave it under flower pots, welcome mats, or plastic rocks.
34. Your front and back door can easily be kicked in. Install high-grade door reinforcement kits, such as Door Devil Door Reinforcement. Google it. I have 2, and I love it!
35. Do not leave hot things plugged in, such as irons or hair straighteners, unless you are using them at the moment.
36. Always have a phone near your bed for emergencies.
37. If a man shows up representing an alarm company, assume that he is a bad guy. Don’t let him in. Don’t even open the door.
38. Do not allow delivered packages to sit outside the door. Only accept packages that you can sign for.
39. Before leaving your home, turn your home phone’s ringer off. This way, burglars will not hear unanswered rings.
40. Buy a lifesize card board cut out of a sports figure or superhero that can be displayed in any window in your home. This gives the impression someone’s always home.

Robert Siciliano is a home and personal security expert to DoorDevil.com discussing Anti-Kick door reinforcement on YouTube. Disclosures.