For many living in San Francisco, CA, covid led to a renewed emphasis on staying home to remain healthy. But even if you’re always on your property, that doesn’t mean you won’t be targeted for crimes such as burglary. Fortunately, it’s possible for you to make your home less appealing to thieves. Here are four ways you can discourage criminals from invading your home.

Eliminate Hiding Places

Thieves like to reduce risk as much as possible, and one way to do this is to monitor a home carefully. If there are hedges or other obstacles they can hide behind, this gives them a good vantage point to observe a home for extended periods without being seen by owners or passersby.

Getting rid of these hiding spots leaves criminals exposed and more prone to being detected. This discourages them from considering your home as a potential target.

Hide Spare Keys Properly

If you’re still using a traditional analog lock mechanism, there’s a temptation to leave a spare key somewhere in case of a loss, especially if you have kids or live with forgetful people. Unfortunately, most people who resort to this leave the key in an easy-to-find place, such as under a rug or in a nearby plant pot. Thieves are aware of the popularity of these hiding places, so in many cases, you’re leaving your key available to someone looking to rob you. Hide spare keys in more discreet places such as a fake sprinkler or under a stone in your garden.

Don’t Make Valuables Visible

Some people like the idea of everyone around the neighborhood knowing how affluent they are, but this can backfire. If you keep the curtains of a gallery window open during the day and end up showing that you have an 85” HDR 4K TV and a jewelry box, it’s not just neighbors who’ll see them. You’ll be advertising to thieves not only the things you own that are worth stealing but also where they are in your house. Keep your high-value possessions out of sight at all times.

Get An Alarm System

One of the best ways to discourage thieves is to let them know that your home is at high risk with low rewards. With an alarm system, thieves will only be able to spend a few minutes on a property before security staff or police officers show up. That’s too little time to search a residence and loot all of the valuables in it.

By having a security system installed and putting up a sign on your property indicating its presence, you are sending a clear message to criminals that they are better off targeting someone else.

If you live in San Francisco, CA and you’d like the peace of mind that comes with having a more secure home, we can help. Contact us today, and let us find the security configuration that’s right for you and your property.