Sweet home

The majority of burglaries generally occur in July and August, while many families are on holiday. It doesn’t take much or cost much to out-smart most burglars. They’re usually not professionals, but rather people looking to take advantage of an easy target. Burglars seek out homes that are unoccupied and unprotected and easy to access through concealed entry points. In many cases they only need 60 seconds to break into a home. There are generally three different types of burglars: the professional, the semi-professional and the amateur. Although owner will probably not have to face a professional thief who focus on extremely the average home-owner will probably not have to face a professional thief who focuses on extremely valuable items, you need to be aware of semi-processional and amateur burglars.

Residential burglars are often male teenagers who live near your home. They are opportunists who look for easy targets. If the risk of detection is too high, the average burglar will not attempt to enter your home.

Burglars know that the key to success is planning. The semi-professional burglar may scout a neighborhood for up to a week, while the amateur burglar will spend only a few hours ‘‘casing’’ a residence. After determining his target, the average burglar spends just a few minutes burglarizing it.

 Whether you leave your home for five minutes or five weeks, recognize that it’s vulnerable whenever it’s unoccupied. While you cannot be home all of the time, you can devise a home security program that works for you around the clock.

Your home may be unoccupied while you’re on holiday, but it doesn’t have to be unprotected. Follow these simple precautions to safeguard your home while you are away.

1. Door and windows                                                                              secure all doors and windows, including pet entrances and garage doors. An open window or door is an open invitation for burglars. Thieves are also quick to spot weak locks that may be easily force open. Install deadbolt lock with one inch throw and reinforced strike plate with three inch screws on doors. Mount high quality locks on all windows particularly those at ground level.