As you have probably guessed by now, in this post I am going to be discussing…
Home Invasion Prevention and Burglary Fortifications
Let me start by saying, this particular post is not about firearms so I won’t be talking about them too much, if at all. I think those are pretty self-explanatory and there’s not really much more needed to discuss here.
Instead, I will be talking mostly about PREVENTING home invasions and/or burglaries. This is about keeping criminals out – rather than defending yourself once they are already inside.
Simply put, this is a post aimed at teaching you how to protect your home from burglary or invasion!
So, let’s get on with it…
You’ve probably heard people say something like, “If a burglar really wants to get into your house, he will.”
Now, to an extent, that is somewhat true. If they are dead-set on YOUR particular house for some reason and are willing to go the extra mile to get in – no matter how much time or effort it takes – then there’s a decent chance they probably will (especially if you haven’t taken any preventative measures outlined below). That’s also assuming they have as much time as they need, nobody is home, no neighbors are calling the police, and so on.
However, this is NOT typical at all. It’s almost never personal. It’s nearly always random and a crime of opportunity. Thieves very rarely care exactly which home they get into.
The vast majority of the time they are just looking for a good opportunity for an easy score. It’s not often that they are actually set on a specific house and willing to do whatever it takes to get in. But even if they are locked onto your house for whatever reason, and are willing to try, you can make it VERY difficult for them!
If your house has obstacles for them and doesn’t seem like it will be worth the trouble, it’s highly likely they will skip it and move on to another, or at least give up after a quick try. They don’t want to take the time or effort when they don’t have to.
Most of the time just having some simple deterrents and fortifications in place is enough to keep criminals away and your household safe.
Your basic goal is to…
Make Your Home as Unattractive of a Target as Possible
You want to make criminals think twice before they consider invading your property.
Deterrence is the first line of home defense!
Also, it’s important to note that most burglars enter through the front door. Yes, that’s right, the #1 spot they get into your home from is the front door. Followed in 2nd by a first floor window and then a very close 3rd is the back door. More than 75% of all home invaders come in through one of these 3 locations.
So, it is clearly vital to fortify those spots first and foremost.
Front doors are notoriously easy to kick in. Actually most doors are. Trust me, you wouldn’t believe how quick and easy it is! I know I didn’t believe it at first but it’s true.
However, it’s not very difficult or expensive to make your door(s) nearly impossible to kick in. And you can definitely make the windows much more secure as well. All of this can be done pretty fast and relatively cheap.
Side Note: It’s extremely IMPORTANT to remember that most burglaries actually happen during the day! Most people are far more vigilant about their home security at night because it is assumed that’s when a break-in will always happen, but that is incorrect. Roughly 65% of home burglaries occur between 6am and 6pm. The reason is simple — this is when people are less likely to be home. The would-be intruder assumes everyone is at work and/or school during the day.
You might also be surprised to know that many former burglars have openly shared the fact that they would simply knock on the front door and see if anyone is home before breaking-in. This also gives them a chance to quickly check whether you have an alarm, dog, camera, fortifications, and so on. If you do answer, they just make up an excuse like they have the wrong house or something.
Anyway, let’s start with some of the most obvious fortifications & prevention tactics, and we’ll continue from there…
Lock Your Doors
It’s absolutely unbelievable to me how many people don’t lock the doors to their house! There are SO MANY home invasions & burglaries that could be prevented simply by doing this alone.
Always keep your doors locked. Whether you are home, only leaving for a few minutes, or going to be gone for an extended period of time – it doesn’t matter – lock them, day or night, always!
Don’t forget about the door from your garage to your house if you have one; a lot of people tend to overlook this one especially.
It’s also a very good idea to upgrade your locks every few years. And you should absolutely change your locks when you move into a new place! You have no idea how many keys are out there in the world and who has them, so do not keep the same locks on any of your doors when you move in somewhere.
Make sure you have a deadbolt as well. Those regular door knob locks are basically worthless. Furthermore, if you have windows in your door (or very near it) you should consider a double sided deadbolt, so they can’t simply break the window then reach in and unlock the door.
If you have a sliding glass door, it is vital that you put a dowel in the track to stop it from opening. Those door locks are notoriously bad and there aren’t many very good options for making them better. A dowel is quick, cheap, easy, and very effective.
Door Armor
In my opinion, this is one of the best home invasion protection products. I use it and HIGHLY recommend it. By itself, this product could potentially prevent about 50% of all break-ins without doing anything else.
What it does is reinforce your door(s) to make it almost impossible to kick-in. At least in any sort of reasonable time.
As stated above, your front door is statistically the most likely place where a burglar will enter, and the vast majority of doors are incredibly easy to kick in. There’s a high chance that any grown man could break through your front door right now in about 5-10 seconds if he wanted to (maybe even faster).
So, what does that say?
You need to fortify your doors, especially the front door! This is exactly what the “Door Armor” product does, and it does it VERY well.
The door armor reinforcement system is not very expensive at all (under $100) and it’s well worth the price. However, if you are on a very tight budget and simply cannot afford it, you do have another option that is super cheap yet still pretty effective…
You can replace the current screws in your strike plate(s) with 3″ hardened screws. Also replace at least some of your hinge screws with 3-inch ones as well. I would even go a step further and run a few 3″ screws up and down your door frame.
Doing this makes it MUCH more difficult to kick your door in, and it costs maybe a couple bucks to buy the screws. You should do this at an absolute minimum!
Again, don’t forget about the door from the garage. It’s not nearly as hard as you might think to get past your overhead garage doors. So you also need to reinforce the door that goes into your house from the garage if you have one.
Don’t Leave a Key Hidden Outside
This is a classic blunder that never gets old. Every criminal out there knows about the “hidden” key and all the usual ways for how/where to find them.
Just don’t do this unless you know for sure it is TRULY hidden in a place that nobody would ever look for it except you. And if you do then it’s wise to change the location periodically as you never know who may have seen you put it away, or if a person you thought was your friend knows where it is and ends up telling someone else.
Take Garage Door Openers Inside
If you have a garage but still park a vehicle outside for whatever reason, it’s important that you don’t leave your garage door opener inside the car. It’s far too easy for a criminal to break into your car and then they can simply open your garage and walk right in.
Now, if you listened to me above then you should have the door from your garage into your home fortified. So they shouldn’t be able to get fully inside the house without significant effort, but they can steal whatever they want from your garage.
Secure Your Overhead Garage Door(s)
If you have an automatic garage door then you have a HUGE security issue that you probably aren’t even aware of and you need to secure it right now! Garage doors are one of the most vulnerable entry points into your house.
This is easily among the most overlooked things when it comes to home security, and is one of the fastest ways for someone to break-in to your garage, which will potentially give them access into your home.
Anyway, let’s get into what I’m talking about…
Surely you have noticed the rope/string hanging down and you may or may not know why it’s there. Let me tell you what it does in case you don’t know: If you pull that rope it will disengage your automatic opener and turn it manual. This means the button will no longer work and your door will now only open/close by hand.
Now, the security problem here is that it is VERY EASY for someone to use a coat hanger to reach through your door and pull that little lever down. This will allow them to simply open your garage door and walk-in.
This is extremely simple to do. An experienced burglar can break-in to your garage in less than 10 seconds doing this. Even someone who has never done it before can still pull it off in roughly 30 seconds or so. Yes, it is THAT easy!
Not very many homeowners know this but it is absolutely true. The design of over your overhead garage door makes it unbelievably easy for someone to break into.
The good news is that it’s also SUPER quick and easy to make it so they can’t do this.
Most of the time, it’s as simple as putting a zip-tie around the lever so it can’t be pulled down so easily. If your particular setup doesn’t allow for this there are other methods as well. None of them are difficult or expensive.
There are plenty of videos online showing how to secure this so I’m not going to get into the details. Just go search on youtube and you will get all the info you need.
Oh and remember that if you have an automatic overhead door but no rope then it’s highly likely the lever is there, but for whatever reason the rope isn’t. So you would still need to follow this advice exactly the same because it doesn’t matter if the rope is there or not for the burglar.
Also, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Make sure you fortify the door that goes into your house from your garage if you have one. This one should be just as solid/secure as your front door. Do not forget about it!
Reinforce Your Windows
The #2 spot that is most likely to be broken through is first floor windows. It’s kinda hard to “deter” someone from breaking a window, but there are several quick & cheap options for reinforcing your windows to keep potential burglars out.
Here are a few of my favorites…
Window security film is great for slowing down or completely preventing entry from a home invader. Once the glass is broken the film will hold the window together, which will prevent or delay a burglar from getting into your home. Their main objective is a speedy entry and this severely hinders that, which will make most of them give up entirely.
Dowels are another great way to secure windows. Typical window locks are pretty much useless and should never be relied on. Similar to the sliding glass door example above, you can use dowels to greatly increase your window fortifications.
Personal security window alarms are insanely cheap, convenient, and super simple to install. These are a no-brainer to put on all of your vulnerable windows. They are loud enough to make a would-be intruder think twice about entering through your window, and will certainly wake you up if they do try. One of my favorite things about them is that they don’t require any wiring, electricity, or internet like most home security options. All you need to do is stick them on the windows and they run on long-lasting batteries.
I personally use all 3 of these on my windows and suggest you do too.
Close Your Window Shades/Curtains at Night
This is an often overlooked part of home security but it can make a huge difference in protecting your family.
Make sure you close the shades when it gets dark. This will ensure that would-be intruders do not know your routine or what exactly you have in your home.
You always want to keep them guessing and one of the best ways to give away all the information they need is to let them see into your house. Close your blinds at night and don’t let them see inside!
Exterior Lighting
It’s quite straightforward… Have exterior lights and turn them on every night!
I highly recommend you also get motion activated lights for all the parts of your yard that are not well-lit by your regular exterior lighting.
Basically just keep the outside of your house lit up at night and have some surprises for them (motion lights) in the dark areas of your property.
It’s no secret that burglars prefer to not be seen or detected. When striking at night they want cover of darkness if at all possible. Don’t give it to them!
Signage
Put up signs/stickers/etc to deter people from even wanting to try getting into your house. This is a great tip on how to stop burglars from targeting your home that most people don’t utilize.
Signs that say things like; no trespassing, beware of dog, warning alarm, you are on camera, etc… even if you don’t have these things; the sign alone can be a useful deterrent.
Again, it’s all about making them think twice about choosing you as a target. If they think you might have a security system, guard dog, or are simply vigilant enough to beware of potential intruders; they will probably continue past your house.
Of course, it certainly helps if you actually have the things you are warning about in the signage, but if nothing else the signs/stickers can at least help deter a lot of potential home burglaries.
Be Mindful of the People You Let Into Your Home
This includes movers, repairmen, electricians, cable guys, painters, deliveries, and so on (all strangers).
Don’t be super paranoid about it. Obviously you need these people or you wouldn’t have called them in the first place.
My advice is to just nonchalantly make sure they know that you are a prepared person and aware of what’s going on in your world. Basically you want them to decide you aren’t an easy target in case they did have any criminal intentions.
And if you didn’t call them to begin with then DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR (many would-be burglars will pose as workers). This is a common tactic among thieves.
Be especially careful of “delivery men” as a lot of home invasions happen from someone posing as a delivery driver and using that as a ruse to get you to open your door. I’d recommend just telling anyone with a delivery to leave it outside rather than opening the door for them. This is doubly important if you aren’t expecting anything to be delivered at that time.
Don’t Unintentionally Help them Gain Entry
Keep your tools, ladders, and so on put away. So many people will leave these things laying around the yard. All that’s doing is assisting a burglar to break into your home. Don’t leave anything out that will help someone get into your house!
Remove Obstructions from Access Points
Large trees, bushes, fences, or whatever else that you may think are great for privacy are also wonderful hiding places for would-be intruders. They also block your neighbors from seeing the burglar if you aren’t home.
It’s a fine line between having your privacy and giving an invader everything he needs to stay hidden.
Have a Security & Surveillance System (and make it obvious that you do)
People looking to break into homes want the path of least resistance. They don’t want to be seen, heard, rushed, or anything else. And they definitely don’t want to be caught!
So, they will typically bypass your house if there’s a threat of discovery, and some of the biggest threats to them are alarms & cameras. Make them doubt your house as a good choice and they will likely move on.
This is a very popular and obvious choice to prevent theft at home, and for good reason. I highly suggest you invest in a home alarm and/or surveillance system if at all possible. They are so many options these days that you can get one even on a tight budget.
Homes without security systems are around 300% more likely to get broken into. Think about that.
Also, don’t hide the fact that you have cameras and/or an alarm, or whatever you have for a security system. You want them to know you do so they hopefully decide it’s not worth the risk and move on. It doesn’t deter them if they don’t know it’s there, and if they don’t know until the break-in has already been set in motion, it may be too late.
However, you should NOT rely on security systems alone. They are absolutely a great deterrent (one of the best) and something you should have, but it’s important to note that it will usually take longer for the police to get there than it does for the burglar to grab what he wants and get out. Most criminals are fully aware of this fact and it’s a risk some of them are willing to take.
This is why only having an alarm without doing any of the other things listed here is a very bad idea. An alarm and cameras will deter most potential home invaders but not all of them, and the ones it doesn’t can still get in & out before the cops arrive.
Be Discreet About What You Own
The main reason anyone wants to break into your home is obviously to take things, so it’s best to not advertise to the outside world what you have inside.
If you buy something valuable that has to be moved into your house try to get it in as quickly and discreetly as possible. Also, don’t leave boxes out on the curb that show the expensive new item you recently purchased.
Become Friends with Your Neighbors
One of the best lines of home defense is a block full of people who know each other and are all watching out for one another.
Make sure your neighbors know you have their back and they have yours. That way if anyone sees anything suspicious they won’t just let it go.
It’s also great to have a neighbor or two that you can trust to watch your house and/or take care of your animals when you go on vacation.
Don’t Announce When You Are Out of Town
Yes, we all like to share how awesome our trip is going on social media, but that is a BAD idea. All that does is tell the world that you are not home and won’t be home for a while. Talk about the perfect opportunity to go ransack the place!
Only tell a very few select people whom you fully trust and those who absolutely need to know when you are going on vacation. Wait to share your pictures online until after you are back home.
Make it Look Like Someone is Home
When you are out of town it’s important to not let mail pile up, grass grow too long, snow go unshoveled, nothing changing around the house, and so on.
Make arrangements for these things ahead of time. If it’s obvious nobody has been there for a while it makes your house a target.
One great way to make it appear as if someone is home, especially once it gets dark, is to get some programmable smart plug-ins and/or switches (you can find tons of options on Amazon), and set them to turn lights on & off at various times throughout the house.
Dogs
Having a dog is often a great burglary deterrent. However, there are many different types of dogs, and that is a large factor in keeping out a potential home invader.
There are “guard dogs” which are typically very large and of a certain breed. Some well-known options are Rottweiler, Doberman, Bullmastiff, German Shepherd, Rhodesian Ridgeback, and several others along these lines. These can be great for truly protecting your property/home/family when trained properly.
However, “watch dogs” can often be just about any breed that will bark a lot at any and every noise they hear. It definitely does help if they have some size to make them a bit more scary to a potential intruder, but sometimes just the fact that a dog is barking like crazy (even if they are small) is enough to keep someone out. They know the noise is likely to alert the homeowner or neighbors, and that makes it much more risky.
Also don’t rely on dogs entirely.
Many people think that just because they have a dog their house is safe. That is a BIG mistake!
There are a LOT of ways to get around a dog (even a well-trained super guard dog). I’m not going to discuss them all here. Just trust me when I say, there’s a strong chance your dog is not going to be the one and only thing to keep someone out of your home if they are looking to get in.
They are a deterrent, and can be a true home defender, but they are certainly not the complete answer to protecting your home from burglary in every case. Only use them in conjunction with the other things discussed above.
Final Thoughts
Obviously there’s no way to fully guarantee your house will never be broken into even if you do everything above. However, utilizing these tips will certainly make it far less likely. That is for sure!
My intention here was to help you learn how to make your house safe from burglars or home invaders before they ever get inside, and I hope I have done that. Always remember that preventing them from targeting your home in the first place is a heck of a lot better than having to defend yourself after they have broken in (although you definitely want to have those means as well).
Do these things NOW! Don’t wait until it’s too late. This is something you absolutely want to be proactive on. Start with at least one of them today and do as many of them as you possibly can ASAP.