How to Foil a Burglar

Co-authored by Asher Smiley and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References

Looking to foil a burglar? Foiling a burglar means preventing a thief from robbing your home or catching them in the act if they do break in. With a few handy hacks, you can prevent burglars from wanting to enter your home at all. Keep reading to learn everything you’ll need to know about foiling burglars to keep you and your family safe.

Things You Should Know

Keep your doors, windows, and garage locked whenever you leave your home.
Deter burglars by closing your blinds and hiding valuable items.
Make your home look occupied while you’re gone by putting your lights and TV on a timer.
Invest in a home security system to deter burglars and give yourself some peace of mind.

1

Lock your doors and windows.

Stop opportunistic burglars by locking up whenever you leave. It might sound like a no-brainer, but many people leave their doors or windows unlocked when they head out to run a quick errand. A couple of minutes is all a burglar needs—it doesn’t matter if you’re only going down the block! Be sure to lock your doors and your windows whenever you head out.^{[1]
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- Secure your sliding glass doors, too. Leaving those unlocked is just like leaving your front door unlocked.

2

Install deadbolt locks on your doors.

Deadbolts are much harder to break than push button locks. If you don’t have deadbolts on your doors already, buy some and install them to deter burglars. While burglars can sometimes still open deadbolts, they take much more time and effort to break into.^{[2]
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- If you just moved into a new home, consider re-keying all the locks.

3

Lock your garage door.

Secure your garage to keep burglars away from your home. You’d be surprised at how many people leave their garage doors unlocked or even open for long periods of time. Even if you’re just inside, shut your garage door and lock it to prevent an opportunistic burglar from taking a look around.^{[3]
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4

Close your window coverings.

Prevent burglars from peeking into your home by shutting blinds and curtains. Many burglars will look inside your home to see if there’s anything worth taking before actually trying to enter. When you leave, shut your blinds and your curtains to keep anyone nefarious from looking inside.^{[4]
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- If there are any windows in your home that don’t have blinds, like your garage windows or your basement windows, get blinds for them right away.

5

Hide valuable items.

Valuable items tell a potential thief that you’re a good target. Expensive grills, nice lawn mowers, and even expensive cars tell burglars that your home is worth breaking into. Keep your valuables hidden in your garage or in a shed to deter people from looking around.^{[5]
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6

Trim back trees and shrubs.

Get rid of hiding spots by cutting back foliage near your home. Your large bushes might be a nice privacy shield from your neighbors, but they’re also the perfect spot for a burglar to hide. Consider trimming back any trees or pruning shrubs that could camouflage a person in your yard.^{[6]
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7

Don’t hide keys outside.

Burglars will often look for “hidden” keys around your home. Hiding your key under a rock or your welcome mat might sound like a good idea, but actually, you’re just inviting a thief to open your front door. Keep your keys on your person or give an extra set to a friend instead of leaving them outside.^{[7]
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- If you need a set of keys outside, consider locking them in a lock box instead of hiding them around your home.

8

Put up signs about a home security system.

Many thieves shy away from homes with alarm systems. Put up a sign or a decal stating that you have a home security system (even if you don’t). A thief is much more likely to target a home that doesn’t have an alarm system than one that does.^{[8]
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- If you have a sign in your yard, be sure to keep it clean, and make sure it doesn’t fall over. Thieves are only deterred by signs that look well-kept, not ones that are old and falling apart.

9

Put your lights on a timer.

Having your lights on a timer makes your home look occupied. When you’re away for multiple days at a time, have your lights turn on at night and then turn off around bedtime. That way, it seems like someone is still home.^{[9]
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- While just leaving your lights on when you’re gone might seem like a good solution, seasoned burglars know that lights being on 24/7 means that no one is home.

10

Have a radio or TV on a timer.

Use noise from a radio or TV to make it appear that someone is home. When you leave your house, put a radio or a TV on loudly to make it sound like voices are coming from your home. Have a timer turn the radio or TV on or off automatically at night so it seems like someone inside is doing it.^{[10]
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11

Keep your vacation plans private.

Telling others your home will be unoccupied makes it a target. When you go on vacation, don’t post about it on social media or tell a ton of people. Instead, let a few close friends or family members know that you’ll be gone and when you’re coming home.^{[11]
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- Feel free to post pics from your vacation after you’re home!

12

Have someone house-sit when you’re gone.

Pay a friend to stay at your home so it’s not unoccupied. They can take the mail in, water your plants, and generally upkeep your home so thieves know someone is there. Even if they don’t spend the night in your home, having someone over during the day may be enough to deter opportunistic burglars.^{[12]
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- Don’t have a friend to house-sit? Sign up for a house-sitting service, like TrustedHouseSitters.

13

Pause deliveries when you’re gone.

Prevent mail from piling up so burglars don’t know that you’re gone. If you’re heading out of town for an extended period of time, contact the post office and ask them to pause your mail service until you’re back. That way, your home won’t look unoccupied, even though it is.^{[13]
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- In the United States, you can go online to USPS’s website and submit an authorization form to pause your mail.

14

Invest in an alarm system.

Home security systems are great burglar deterrents. While they won’t stop burglaries 100% of the time, they’re sure to make even seasoned burglars pause. Look into a home alarm system to set while you’re away to give you some peace of mind.^{[14]
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- Home security systems are great for catching burglars, too. If you get a burglar on video, you can give that video to the police for identification.
- Camera door bells are the most minimal type of security you can add to your home.^{[15]
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- Popular home alarm services include SimpliSafe, ADT, Ring, and Vivint.^{[16]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How do I protect myself in my home?

Asher Smiley
Self Defense Trainer
Asher Smiley is the Owner and Lead Instructor at Krav Maga Revolution in Petaluma, California. Asher has earned a Tier 1 Instructor Certification in the American Krav Maga system. In 2017, he trained with the International Kapap Federation Combat Krav Maga International, completing their 7 day tactical seminar and the 8 day CKMI instructor course.

Asher Smiley

Self Defense Trainer

Expert Answer

Create a game plan to follow in the event that someone breaks into your home. Go through every single room in your home and consider what you'd do during a burglary. What are your options in this exact location? Do you run away or fight back? If you fight back, what found weapons can you use? Thinking about these factors helps you to be more prepared.