5 Easy Ways to Prevent a Break-In
2008-10-07
Coming home and finding out that your house has been burglarized is one of the most frightening things a homeowner can experience. A break-in to your home will leave most homeowners feeling victimized. Unfortunately, when it comes time to submitting a claim to your homeowners insurance, the feeling of victimization can resurface very quickly. Every time you submit a claim to your homeowners insurance your monthly premiums will likely rise. Taking a few simple steps to prevent a break-in to your home will not only help you feel safer, it will also help keep your homeowners insurance premiums as low as possible.
- Purchase an alarm system. Having a working alarm system installed in your home is not only the easiest way to prevent a break-in, it may also lower your homeowners insurance quote as well. Many insurance companies partner with alarm companies and offer insurance discounts when you purchase the alarm system. In turn, most burglars will avoid the hassle of breaking in to a home with an alarm system and move on to the next.
- Be modest. When thieves are out scoping a neighborhood they are looking for houses that appear to have high-priced items that are worth their efforts. If your home has a huge HDTV television in plain view or several expensive yard decorations out front, you will have a better chance of becoming their next victim. If you have high-priced items in your possession, move them out of the vision of passers by on the street.
- Start a neighborhood watch. Not only will a neighborhood watch program help deter thieves in your area and help you become better acquainted with your neighbors, insurance companies love it as well. Many top insurance companies offer discounts to homeowners when they live in an area with a neighborhood watch program. If your street does not currently have one, contact the neighborhood watch to start one yourself.
- Keep your doors and windows locked. While it may feel wonderful to come home on a breezy fall day to a home with open windows, it is also a huge invitation for thieves. If you leave your house for any reason and for any amount of time be sure to lock all your doors and windows.
- Prepare for vacations. Whenever you leave your home for any length of time, such as a vacation or business trip, you will want to make sure as few people know it as possible. Have your lights and television set on a timer to give the impression that someone is home and have a neighbor collect your mail. Other things you can do is to turn your home telephone off or lower the ringer so people you don’t know will not assume you are not at home.
While there is no guarantee that your home will be completely safe from a break-in, following these simple steps will definitely help prevent thieves from entering your home. No matter what, you should always have adequate homeowners insurance to cover your home in the event that you are burglarized. InsuranceQuote.com offers our customers the fastest and easiest way to get multiple low-cost insurance quotes from top-rated insurance companies online. Visit InsuranceQuote.com for all your insurance needs.