There’s nothing scarier than someone stealing your stuff. But a break-in is even worse. So depending on where you live, it might make sense to learn how to protect your home from invasion.
Here’s what you should know:
The best defense against home invasion is to not make it easy for burglars to see inside or enter your home. Security lights, curtains, deadbolts, and pets can all deter a would-be burglar. But also, solid exterior doors can also help keep thieves away. If you make your home a challenge, thieves will go elsewhere.
What’s the difference between home invasion and a burglary?
If an intruder finds any people at home once they are inside, this break-in automatically becomes an invasion. A burglary involves things and a home invasion involves people.
Thus a home invasion is a much scarier and far more dangerous situation.
So learning how to protect your home from invasion is not only crucial; it can make the difference between life and death.
How often does a home invasion occur?
In the US, according to the Department of Justice, almost 4 million household burglaries occur each year.
Of those about 28% are actually home invasions where 1 or more household members were home at the time. That means in the US there are well over 1 million home invasions each year!
And the US isn’t even in the Top 10 countries for home invasion!
You can see in this chart that the top countries with the most home invasions are:
- Denmark
- Uruguay
- Belgium
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
Australia ranks at number 6.
So learning how to protect your home from invasion needs to be a top priority for all of us!
co-authored with Audrey Taylor
So let’s review the . . .
7 Proven Tips on How to Protect Your Home from Invasion
1. Don’t make yourself a target
Intruders are looking for the low hanging fruit; homes that are easy to break into that stand the best chance of having things worth stealing.
So to avoid being a target, try not to stand out too much in your neighborhood.
Avoid flashing expensive things that might indicate that you are well off financially. Your car should be in a garage, your windows should not offer a clear view of your possessions, and you should not leave expensive items out in plain sight.
Houses in areas with a neighborhood watch group, as well as those surrounded by neighbors who rarely leave their home are at less risk. This is one of the simplest but best tips on how to protect your home from invasion.
Bonus Tip – Tint your windows!
Gila PB78 Privacy Residential Window Film, available on Amazon Prime for less than $20 USD is a great way to keep prying eyes away from your stuff!
Just like the tint for your car and it just takes minutes to apply at home; no pro needed! It can also cut your energy bill and make your home more energy-efficient. Not sure of the differences between tempered and laminated glass? Just click the link to find out.
2. Eliminate the best hiding spots for thieves
Australian security experts Portcullis remind us that the security of our home is crucial and according to their statistics, the yard is your first line of defense.
Do not use a privacy fence in the front of your house. If you have a front fence, keep it low so you can see the front of your home. You can also check www.illinoisfence.com to have an idea of what fence is best for your house.
This will allow neighborhood watch groups and your neighbors to see if there is something strange happening.
Also, trim any bushes or trees around the house, particularly close to your doors or windows. The bushes, as well as the privacy fence, can be a great hiding place for thieves.
3. Dogs can be a great deterrent to thieves
While a traditional alarm system as a security method is great, also consider getting a dog.
You do not need an attack dog.
What you need is a dog that will bark to inform you and the neighborhood that something is going on.
But it does not hurt if they are able to threaten and scare off the intruders too.
Get smart breeds, loyal and elite protection dogs for sale as they are usually easy to train. Have them professionally trained at a young age, and they will prove to be not only a loyal friend but an efficient guard dog.
According to Cesar’s Way, some of the Best Guard Dogs are:
- Bullmastiff
- Doberman
- Rottweiler
- Schnauzer
- German shepherd
If you have kids, make sure to cross-reference those with their Best Dogs for Kids list.
4. Don’t keep thieves in the dark
The lights in and around your house are very important.
Lighting around the house, especially in what would normally be dark corners, increase visibility.
Motion-sensor lights are not only good for visibility, but they also raise a flag and let people know something unusual is taking place.
With the lights inside your home on, it is hard for thieves to know whether there is someone home or not, or whether the occupants are awake or asleep.
A timer outlet is great for switching lights on and off randomly while you are away.
Want to know the top-rated Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights on Amazon prime?
They are solar-powered from URPOWER, so no wiring needed, and a 4 pack is under $40 USD!
Over 7000 reviews and almost 5 stars can’t be wrong, making this the ultimate how to protect your home from invasion solution!
5. Don’t make it easy to enter your home
Think about the ways you enter your home.
You use your front door, back/side door, garage door, and you could potentially use windows. Also, do not forget about the doggie door if you have one.
The doors leading from the inside and into your home should ALL have locks.
Top story: 7 of the Most Stolen Items from Home Invasions – Bob Vila https://t.co/XBVXXtqv4p, see more https://t.co/Dk3CRIbKhC
— Arthur Hoek (@arthurhoek12) March 7, 2018
Front doors should also be solid to make them difficult to kick in. The dog flap should also have a lock, particularly if it is large. The windows should have double locks. In rougher neighborhoods choose decorative metal bars for the ground floor windows.
It is also important to mention that regardless of how pretty they can look, front and rear doors should not have glass on it, nor there should be a window near the doorknob.
Lastly, in learning how to protect your home from invasion, make sure you have a safety lock on the door between your home and the garage.
For even better home security, check out the list of the Best Electronic Keyless Deadbolts reviewed.
In today’s modern world, why not get a keyless entry system that works with iPhone, Android, and even Alexa?
Best of all it works with your existing deadbolt and keys; so no re-keying necessary. It can even unlock automatically when you arrive and lock automatically when you leave!
It installs simply in mere minutes with just a screwdriver! So check out August Smart Lock Pro on Amazon Prime!
6. The power of an alarm system
An alarm system is one of the most obvious ways you can protect your home.
Use an alarm system accompanied by a surveillance system. If you have the aforementioned window close to a doorknob, you can try closing off one part of it and installing a glass-break detector.
The stickers or yard signs that warn others you have security in place are good for discouraging intruders.
Make sure they are generic and they do not let others know which system you are using as they may find a way of hacking it.
In the old days, you had to pay alarm monitoring companies hundreds of dollars for a system and then a large recurring monthly fee.
But with the BIBENE Home Security Alarm System DIY KIT, you can get a complete system for under $70 on Amazon Prime with no recurring monthly fee!
Better than that you can control it with an app on your smartphone or with Alexa. Best of all it installs in minutes so no need to schedule a time and wait for an installer to set it up.
It’s got 5 stars so you know this system works great!
7. Keep strangers out
Let only the trusted people you are expecting, into the privacy of your home.
Get a wide-angle peephole so you know exactly who is in front of the door. You will have a clear overview of who is at the front and there is more separating you from the strange person that just the door.
If you are hiring contractors, make sure to get trusted recommendations and check reviews on social media.
These tips will help you keep you and your home safer.
Of course, no home security approach is fool-proof. But as we said at the start, thieves look for the easiest home to get into that stands the best chance of having things worth stealing. We also did not get into guns, the laws for which vary greatly from country to country and even within countries. But certainly, with proper training, a gun can be good protection against home invasion.
But ultimately if you make it hard to get into your home and hide expensive items from prying eyes, you’ll already be way ahead of most. And you can avoid using a gun which can have far larger ramifications.
Did we cover everything you wanted to know about how to protect your home from an invasion?
In this article, we took a detailed look at home security.
After all, our home is often our prized possession and it contains everything that’s important; including our loved ones when they are home.
So depending on where you live, it makes sense to secure your home and your belongings. Specifically, we covered how to protect your home from invasion.
That way you can rest easy.
The co-author of this post, Audrey Taylor, was born in San Francisco and moved to Adelaide, Australia at the age of five.
Marketer researcher and social media manager on hold, full – time mommy of a cheerful two-year-old.
Graduated from Queensford college, worked in a couple of marketing agencies across Australia, eager to learn more about business and share her experiences. Traveled across Europe.
Her hobbies include home decor, fashion, travel, music, old movies.