The 10 Most Common Home Security Mistakes We Make

One English proverb says that charity never made poor, stealing never made rich and wealth never made wise. Unfortunately, thieves will never understand that hence they will use every chance they get to take whatever they can, all in search of quick cash.

With that knowledge, it is up to us to keep our homes safe by any means necessary. However, regardless of how bent we are on protecting our possessions, we keep making home security mistakes that allow burglars into our houses. Here are a few of them.

1. “Hiding” your key under the doormat

You realize that you will not be home when your relative visiting from out of town gets to your place. Instead of leaving them out in the cold as they wait for you, you will tell them to find your spare key under the doormat.

While this was safe back in the day when no one cared to know whether you are home or not, burglars are always ready to spot an easy target. Therefore if you make a habit of leaving your spare key in the most obvious places such as in planters, under rocks, or in nearby bushes, it is only a matter of time before you come home to the shock of a burglarized house.

2. Telling everyone you will be away for a few days

Before you defend yourself saying that you only tell those who matter like your neighbor to take care of your pets, remember that you could let it slip as you hurry to update your status on WhatsApp or other social media channels.

Some of the things we put on the platforms are unnecessary; they render us vulnerable to danger because frankly speaking, most of our “friends” and followers in social media are strangers.

They could even be stalkers planning on harming you, and letting them know that you will not be home gives them enough room to carry out whatever fantasies they have had about you, including taking a prized possession as a souvenir.

3. Making it obvious that you are not home

You could be introverted or the most private person in the neighborhood such that even your neighbors never know whether you are in the house. However, if you leave and have packages sitting on your porch, then Alarm Reviews cites this as an open invitation to burglars since it indicates that no one is home. Therefore, you can notify your neighbor of some deliveries to be made to your house and ask them to collect for you.

4. Displaying your valuables

That shiny diamond ring that has been passed down from generation to generation could be your pride, but that does not mean you have to show everyone, even those peeking from outside.

Putting your valuables on display such that even when your windows are open, people on the outside can see them invites thieves into your home. After all, they would also love to have such an heirloom in their possession or maybe make sell it for quick profits.

5. Failing to install outdoor lights

Darkness has always been associated with sin, and literally, thieves love committing their crimes in the dark since identifying them is difficult. Without lights on your front porch r backyard, your house is engulfed by the darkness that makes it easy for a thief to take whatever they can access without you noticing. Therefore, you can have motion-activated lights installed so that any movement will immediately be caught and alert you of the intruders.

6. Having fake cameras

Gone are the days where even fake pistols could scare people into surrendering their belongings for fear of being shot. Nowadays, even thieves can spot a phony camera allowing them to have peace of mind as they steal your stuff since chances of ever being caught are slim to impossible. Instead of spending money buying fake or substandard security equipment, install the genuine ones and keep burglars off your property.

7. Untrimmed bushes

In an article written in 2008 by Brian Haas for the Sun-Sentinel, he said that police advocate for “defensive shrubbery” if you want to keep your home safe from burglars. The police advised homeowners to keep their trees and shrubs trimmed since they will eliminate hiding spots and access to the attic or second floor. Moreover, trimmed bushes and trees provide you with an ideal view of your entire compound whenever you look outside.

8. Keeping your trash visible

You have just bought your partner their anniversary gift; it could be that big flat-screen TV to enjoy the game or expensive jewelry for the ladies. It might also be the festive period, and with so many presents to unwrap, the pile in the trash will keep growing, thereby attracting unwanted attention.

While to you, it is only boxes that need to be discarded, to the prying eyes, such waste indicates what they could find should they break into your house. Therefore instead of giving people time to assess the kind of stuff you have in the home, it is advisable to keep your trash hidden in the bin.

9. Poor positioning of the mirrors in the entry hallway

With our need to feng shui every room, even the entry hall has become the ideal spot to hang mirrors. Since interior decor experts recommend that mirrors should not be directly across the front door since it pushes away energy, they advise hanging it in the wall perpendicular to the front door.

However, that is one of the many home security mistakes to avoid, according to House Logic. Anyone looking into the house from the window can easily see you arm or disarm the alarm.

10. Not changing the locks of the new house you have rented

As much as you cannot accuse the person who lived in that house of being a thief seeing that you do not even know him, it is better to be safe than sorry. People move out and have multiple spare keys made of the apartments they live in; hence you should always ask the landlord to change the locks of the new place you have moved into to avoid burglary cases.

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