When you are out of the house leave your blinds or curtains the way you usually have them. If you normally have them open or partly open, closing every window covering in your house is a definite sign that you are not there. You want to keep things as normal looking as possible.
When you buy something expensive like a flat screen TV or new laptop don’t put the packaging out on the curb for the garbage truck to pick up until the day of. Leaving such things outside where it can be seen from the street, either overnight or even for a couple of days, is an invitation for a burglar to invade your home. Wait until trash pick-up day to bring that kind of garbage out of your house.
Make a point to keep valuables out of view. Don’t leave your laptop or expensive jewelry out where it can be seen through a window. Also, if you can avoid it, don’t install your fancy flat screen TV in view of the front room window.
Little things like the newspapers and mail piling up, the yard looking unkempt, no cars in the driveway, no one going in and out of the house, and no lights going on and off at night are all indicators that no one is home and a signal to burglars that this is their chance to strike. You can do things like install lights that you can turn off and on remotely with your phone at random times of the day, get to know your neighbors, or ask friends/family to come to the house for a few minutes each day just to show people coming and going.
Form a neighborhood watch community, ensure that everyone in the neighborhood has a contact list with email and cell phone numbers for each other. If everyone is looking out for each other and is familiar with faces and cars, it will be easier to determine when something seems amiss.
When you make friends, people begin to develop a rapport where you help each other. People who know you are more likely to care about you and your family’s well-being.
Anything you can do to make it seem like someone is at your house will give you a greater chance of not being a target for thieves. Nothing is foolproof, however if you take precautions you lower your risks.