16 Ways to Secure Your Home Without a Security System

16 Ways To Secure Your Home Without A Security System

Majority of burglars steer clear of homes with a visible security system. If you live in a high-risk area, consider the benefits of a home security system before opting it out of your budget. Security systems can be cheaper than expected and worth the cost when the reality is that only a handful of break ins result in thieves going to jail. However, there are still people who don’t feel the need for a security system but want to take persuasions when it comes to the dangerous world we live in. Which is why I've listed 15 ways to secure a home without a security system.

1.       If it’s not already obvious, lock your front door.
It’s funny because intruders usually don’t walk through the front door. In fact, according to former police officer and U.S. army Captain Alexia Chianis only 34% of thieves enter through front doors! Having your doors locked is still a good idea though, you never know if that 34% is hanging out in your neighborhood.

2.       Lock your other doors and all your windows!
Without any audio or visual alarm system/surveillance, your best bet is to lock your house up! Only about 30% of burglars come through the windows or other doors (like garage doors) of a home. Including front doors, that’s a total of 64% of entry ways for a burglar to get into your house. Keeping all doors and windows locked while your away is an immediate plus for keeping your home safe! When you are home, especially when your alone, at least keep your doors locked.

3.       If you’re home alone or with children, always keep a cellphone on you.
Based on a crime victimization survey by the U.S. Department of Justice, 3 out of 10 times someone is home during a burglary and 7% out of 28% of these intrusions result in violent misconduct. Having a cellphone on you during a break in will make it easier to call for help and will result in police getting to your house before anything brutally criminal takes place.

4.       Keep your most prized possessions hidden or locked away in a safe.
In the circumstance that someone does break into your home, whether you’re there or not, it’s wise to keep your valuable belongings locked away. Precious, sentimental, and high-priced items such as jewelry, keep sakes, guns, camera’s, music equipment and office equipment should be kept in a separate locked up space away from master bedrooms.

5.       Make sure your master bedroom is free of prized possessions.
The master bedroom is usually the first place a thief will target to steal from because this is where most people keep their most expensive things. If a burglar goes into a master bedroom with nothing to grab at, the chances of something valuable being stolen is diminished. This not only leaves the burglar confused but also gives them less time to look for something to steal. In most instances it only takes a burglar less than ten minutes to enter and exit a home with something in hand. Without anything to steal, burglars will most likely think they are running out of time and flee the home empty handed before heading to another room.

6.       Get a security camera or two.
Getting a few security cameras doesn’t result in a full security system, but it does result in more security! If a home has been broken into and the burglar got away, the odds of it being broken into again by the same burglar are high. It will also be looked be vulnerable to other thieves. Having a security camera’s around will ward them off. If you absolutely can’t budge to get some cameras. A little trick is getting old security camera’s that don’t work anymore or making fake DIY security cameras to put up around your house. With the illusion of security, it’s more likely that burglars won’t bother to break in, and old thieve won’t bother re-entry.

7.       Double up on locks.
Putting extra locks on doors and windows will always be a great addition to safety when your home or away on vacation. If unlocking a bunch of locks is too much of a hassle for you, consider trading traditional locks for smart locks. Never use a key again and ditch the spare key under the mat, access your home using a code instead.

8.       If you have a spare key, don’t keep it at your house.
Give it to a trusted neighbor or relative to keep at their house instead. When you need your spare key, you can get it from them and eliminate all risks of having it left where potential attackers can easily find it. The smartest thing to do is keep it with you, but the second-best thing is to leave it with a friend.

9.       Use peel and stick alarms.
These alarms are inexpensive compared to security and surveillance networks but still give off a warning during intrusions. Alarms like this are small enough not to be detected and loud enough to be heard by close neighbors, so you can feel comfortable in or outside of your home.

10.   Replace your home mailbox with a security mailbox.
Keep mail thieves away from your holiday cards, bank statements, and personal letters by installing a security mailbox. A standard mailbox can be as cheap as ten dollars from Walmart, but will it account for stolen mail? I highly recommend spending the extra thirty dollars if you’re worried about mail thieves.

11.   Keep your yard free of tools/toys.
When you have multiple things laying around in your yard, it makes it a lot easier for by passers to scope out your belongings and take things from your property when you aren’t looking. Whether it’s at night when everyone in your home is sleeping or in the middle of the day when you’re at work or school. The chances of someone stealing things from your yard are lower when there’s nothing in your yard to steal, go figure!

12.   Invest in building a fence and having a gate for your yard/driveway. 
Having your space enclosed will significantly decrease onlookers from coming into your yard. With a fence you don’t have to worry about the kids leaving their bikes out in the driveway or worry if someone will dismantle and take that swing set you just bought, and never have random people turning around in your driveway again!

13.   Keep your house lit.
Leaving a light on at home when you’re out for the night will leave an illusion that someone is there and will influence burglars to wait and try another time to avoid being caught. Lights around your yard, or behind shrubbery will also eliminate hiding places. Without a place to hide, thieves are less likely to try breaking in because they won’t have a secure escape route.

14.   Keep in touch with your neighbors and look out for each other’s property.
Criminal activity is less likely to follow through in tight knit communities where everyone looks out for each other. When neighbors are away, let them know of any fishy activity you see at their homes and communicate about them doing the same for you while you’re away on trips. This not only creates trust between you and your neighbors but ensures your property will be looked out for even without a surveillance system.
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15.   Make sure to turn off location services when you’re away.
You never know who could be stalking your whereabouts through social media. If you’re away on a trip, wait till you come back home to post pictures and videos. Or, if you have the “posting bug” and can’t help but do it, be sure to keep your location a secret. Don’t broadcast the dates you’ll be away either, this could potentially set up a time frame for someone to break into your home.

16. Implement Unbreakable Glass!
Yes, it's a thing! Check out our friends at Riot Glass to find out more about how you can protect your home by switching out all windows and doors with unbreakable glass for extra security without a security system.

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