There are no bulletproof ways to secure your home entirely. But there are many ways to make so difficult for the thief, that he will choose another house instead. And the methods are either free of charge or very cheap.
If you hide when you are away, you can avoid many break-ins. You should never have regularly routines. Even if it sounds difficult, try to vary the time of departure and arrival just a little bit every day.
If you are away for a longer period, stop the delivery of newspapers and mail, so they mail box will not betray you. You can also ask the neighbor to park their car in front of your house. Arrange with someone to mow your lawn in the summer and remove snow in the winter.
The thieves are also starting to use the internet to find good places for a break in. So do not write on Facebook, Twitter etc. when you will be away from home; especially not if you have an open profile that everybody can read.
A simple but effective way to keep the thieves away is light. Obvious places to break in should always be well lighted. It is also a good idea to place floodlight on the corner of your house, so the wall are flooded with light. Then it is difficult for the burglar to hide.
You can also use light in another way, to protect you from break-ins. Buy a plug-in timers, so you automatically can turn the light on and off. Then the burglar will never know, if you are home or not. Just make sure, that you vary the on and off time, so it is not obvious, that you are doing it with an automatic timer.
Do not leave tools in an unlocked shed. Put a large padlock on the door. And do not leave ladders outside the home. Many thieves do not bring anything but count on the things, the can find outside peoples homes. So do not make it easier for them by providing them with the tools they need.
A classic way for thieves to get into the house is through the window. So if you can protect this entry point, you can maybe avoid a break-in. Drill a hole in the frame and put a steal bolt or rod in it. Then the window can only be opened a few inches. If you need to open the window more, the bolt can easily be removed.
If you feel the above isnt enough, you can also invest in an alarm system and security cameras. And a final word; remember the obvious. Lock the door and close the windows when you leave home.
Martin Elmer is the editor of Alarmer. Here you can also read about Alarm systemer.