Your home should be a place where you and your family should feel safe. Burglars threaten that security, but there are things you can do to make sure that your home and family aren't being targeted. Check out these 13 tips below to help keep your home from being targeted by home intruders.

Always Make It Seem Like Someone Is Home
Whether you are on vacation for a week or simply going to the store and running errands for a few hours, you always want to make sure it seems like somebody is home, even if the house is empty. There are a few ways that you can portray this.

1. Never let flyers, menus, and newspapers sit out. Always make sure to collect them or if you are on vacation, have a trusted neighbor come by and pick these ups each day.
2. Pretend like you’re saying goodbye to someone when you’re leaving your home. This only works if you are visible (your car isn’t in a garage) but can fool someone that is watching you into thinking someone is still home.
3. If you’re on vacation and it snows, have your neighbors make tracks in the snow. Untouched snow is an obvious tip for burglars to see nobody is home.

Think About Outside
The way you landscape your home or keep your yard can make you a target for someone that wants to break into your home.

1. Always make sure that your landscaping is neat. Be aware of any places that burglars and intruders can lurk and hide. This means keeping bushes and shrubs away from any first floor windows.
2. Don’t ever leave a ladder in your backyard. This makes it easier for burglars to reach an upstairs window that you may not have locked.
3. Mow your lawn. If you’re on vacation and your lawn starts to grow out, this is an easy cue for someone to know you haven’t been around in a while. Have a friend or neighbor do it if you’ll be out of town for a long period of time.

Have Extra Security
Installing a home security system is a great idea; however, it can become a little costly. There are other things that you can do to intimidate them and stop them from targeting your home.

1. Buy light timers for indoor and outdoor lights (be sure to use fluorescent bulbs to keep energy costs down.) Have them go on night, before you get home. This will make it seem like someone is home and provides you some safety when entering your home.
2. Buy some fake alarm system decals.  Do this if you can’t afford or wouldn’t like to purchase an actual home security system. You can also purchase “beware of dog” signs. These signs may make a potential intruder choose what they think is an easier target instead.
3. Reinforce door jams by installing long screws (4 inch) to replace the small screws that are most likely installed. This will make it harder for a burglar to kick the door in and the extra noise may prevent them from continuing on.
4. For sliding doors or windows, use a wooden dowel or metal bar that fits into its track when it’s closed. This will prevent it from being pried open.

Other Tips

1. Don’t leave electronics boxes on the curb. Instead, cut them up and conceal them in recycling bins. Having proof of your electronics on your curb will make you a target.
2. Don’t leave status updates about being on vacation until AFTER you’re back from your trip. Posting them while on your trip alerts everyone that you’re not home and won’t be for a while.
3. Have the post office hold your mail until you get back from vacation.