Top 10 ways to burglar-proof your home.

Home security has a simple goal: Protect your home and loved ones from a burglary. There are few things more emotionally draining than having the safety of your home compromised.

You might be aware of some things that could reduce your chances of a burglary, like getting a smart home security system. But there are a number of things you can do to burglar-proof your home.

We’ve put together this list to help you figure out what you need to do to make sure your home is protected against burglaries.

Secure your door.

The front door is not only the main entryway to your home, it’s the primary way burglars enter, too. 34% of break-ins occur via the front door. So you’re going to need to do a couple of things to make sure it’s safe.

You could get a smart lock to secure your door, which makes it less likely someone could pick your lock. Specifically, you’re going to want to look for a keypad lock that takes away the need for keys and lock picks.

Next, you’re going to want to reinforce your strike plate. The strike plate is the piece of metal that goes on your door frame, it’s often what holds your door’s lock in place. Get some high quality metal, and also check how long the screws used to hold the plate in are. The shorter the screws, the less stable your strike plate.

If your strike plate is less stable, it’s easy to kick your front door in. You’ll want to replace your screws with longer screws, which will stabilize your strike plate and make it safer.

You also may want to consider a video doorbell or smart camera to look over your front door. Smart doorbells and smart cameras can be a good way to ward off potential burglars. 83% of burglars surveyed by UNC Charlotte’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology said they look for alarms or outdoor cameras when scoping out a potential target.

Similarly, get a signpost that says your home is protected by a security company. It doesn’t matter if it’s real or fake, its presence can help scare off potential burglars.

Get some sirens.

One of the best ways to scare off burglars is a siren. A nice loud siren can stress out a burglar, who is often looking to get into your house, take something and leave within seconds, while also waking up neighbors and drawing attention to your home.

A siren forces burglars to make a quick choice: Stay and risk getting caught or flee with nothing. Having a siren or two to help with this is essential to burglar-proofing your home. Look for a siren that clocks in around 105 decibels.

Be on top of things.

One of the surefire ways to burglar-proof your home is to be on top of things. While broad, this generally means getting involved in your community.

Meet and built relationships with your neighbors. That way, if there’s anything wrong when you’re not at home they can sound the alarm. You can also do things like get involved in the neighborhood watch or push for security changes with your home owners association.

It’s also worth making sure your yards, front and back, are maintained and look like someone takes care of their home. This lets burglars know that your home has someone who is vigilant in it, making it less likely they break in.

Stick on door and window sensors.

After your front door, your windows and other doors are big targets for a break-in. One great way to keep an eye on all of them is to equip them with sensors.

You can attach sensors to them and find out via your smartphone when they’re opened and when they’re closed. With Ooma Home Security, you can even get things like inactivity alerts, which let you know when you’ve accidentally left a door or window open.

These sensors can help you make sure that every possible entryway of your home is watched, making it easy to respond to potential burglars whether you’re away or at home.

Cover your property with motion sensors.

Window and door sensors are a great way to find out if someone has broken into your home, but one way to learn about potential threats is motion sensors.

If you have a back yard, motion sensors can be a valuable way of knowing if someone is snooping around your home. Yes, it’s also possible that motion sensors pick up nocturnal visitors like raccoons, but there’s always the chance they warn you of a potential burglary. You can stop it before it happens.

Keep an eye on things with a smart camera.

Sensors of all sorts will let you know when something happens, but a smart camera is the best way to see and hear what’s going on around your home. Modern smart cameras include features like two-way talk and facial tagging, which make it incredibly easy to see who’s in your home and talk to them.

They also come with motion alerts and other ways to learn about people snooping around your home. Plus, don’t forget that they’re valuable in providing evidence for police reports and insurance claims.

Trim your bushes.

You may love the trees and bushes around your property. They make life green and peaceful, but they can also help burglars scope out your property.

You need to make your way around you home and see whether your sightlines from your home to the outside are good. Is it possible for a burglar to hide behind the trees and bushes around your home? If it is, they could be scoping out your home without you knowing it.

Worse, some burglars use trees and bushes around a home to hide and evade detection when leaving the scene of a crime. If you trim your bushes and trees, it not only makes it less likely for someone to scope out your home undetected, it makes it more likely to get captured after the fact.

Protect your mail.

Your physical mail is a gateway into your life. One quick look at your mail can determine your political affiliation, whether you have guns in your home, whether you’re likely to head on vacation and your financial status.

Not to mention the abundance of packages we receive from e-commerce sites like Amazon. Make sure to protect your mail. You don’t want a potential burglar scoping around and trying to determine whether you’re an easy target via your mail.

Consider using a smart camera inside your mailbox to monitor it. Alternatively, consider checking your mail as soon as possible.

Fortify your garage.

Your garage contains a lot of valuable items that can be stolen. You’ve potentially got items like charcoal, gas, tools, car parts, bicycles and, well, your car, just sitting in there.

It’s important to make sure your garage is completely secure, just like your home. Put some smart cameras in there, fortify your doors, and make sure to stick some window and door sensors around.

It’s also worth adding in devices like a motion sensor or siren to fully secure your garage.

If you get a home security system, make sure it’s versatile.

Every home is different, so if you’re getting a home security system make sure it’s able to scale to your home.

With Ooma Home Security, you can use Ooma’s Build Your Own System tool to customize the security for your home. You can throw in as many window and door sensors, sirens, motion sensors and even water leak sensors as you need. It’s your one-stop shop for home security.