Crime statistics in San Diego show that approximately 99 residential robberies were committed in the county in January 2017. When a homeowner decides to sell a home in San Diego, knowing your house is safe from burglary is always a concern. This holds true, especially if the home happens to be vacant. We have put together some tips on how to protect your house from a burglary that we hope will help you.
As a homeowner, you probably like having lots of privacy. You may want to plant fast-growing shrubbery, trees, or a tall fence around your property. Criminals drive through neighborhoods just like potential home buyers do. They search for homes that have privacies such as these. They know that if they get into the home, neighbors will not easily see them behind the fence or trees that cover the front of the house.
Below are a few tips that can help you NOT become one of these statistics.
1-Lock your Doors and Windows
Many times, burglars will enter a home through a window that was left open or unlocked and/or back doors that were left unlocked. If you are selling your home, make sure that your Realtor checks that everything is locked after showings and after open houses. Put reminders and postcards throughout so that everyone double-checks before they leave.
2-Maintain the Front of your House
Trim overgrown hedges and trees. If you are going on vacation, make sure that you have someone picking up your mail. Are you staying away for long periods of time? Let the post office know what days you will be away. If your mailbox is overflowing, you will let everyone know that you are not home.
3-Invest in Good Locks
If you just bought a new house, change the locks immediately. There are so many people who have been inside a home that was on the market and just sold. The smartest thing to do would be a new and different set of house keys immediately.
4-Lighten Up the House
It is always a good thing to have lights go on when the sun goes down. You can put them on a timer, so they turn on at certain times. Whether you are home or not, the lights that you choose will turn on automatically. These days you can have it set up wirelessly. Turning them on from your smartphone is as easy as 1-2-3.
5-Smile, You’re on Candid Camera
A burglar goes around the neighborhood and scopes out homes before they strike. If they come across a home that has several cameras on the exterior, they will most likely move on to the next house that does not have cameras all over the place.
6-Dog Alert
Having a dog at home is not always foolproof. I know of someone with two large dogs whose house was broken into. The robbers lured the dogs into the backyard. Then, they closed the doggy door. With this being said, if you have several dogs, large and small, and you keep them in the house (no access to the backyard while you are not home), those dogs will cause a real ruckus. Neighbors will easily be alerted. It would be a lot easier for that robber to break into a home that does not have any dogs.
7-Invest in an Alarm System
There are many alarm system companies out there, and it can get confusing. Many of them lock you into a 2-year contract. What if you don’t like their service? You will have to stick with them for the term of the contract.
You may want to look into Simplisafe. It is very easy to install yourself, and they have great reviews. They do lock you into a contract. We know of several people who use them, and they are very happy with their service. Just remember that when you purchase one of these systems, make sure that you include an outdoor siren. If someone does decide to risk it and attempt to break into your home, the siren will blare, and there will be lots of commotion and loud disturbance. The neighbors will definitely hear the siren and the police should be there in a few minutes.
We hope that you have found this information useful.