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According to the FBI, more than one million burglaries are committed in the United States each year, with victims suffering an estimated $3 billion in combined property losses.1 Fortunately, there are some proven tactics you can use to decrease your likelihood of a home invasion.

Most burglars won’t go to extreme lengths to enter a residence. They are looking for easy access with minimal risk. A monitored security system can be an effective deterrent—homes without one are 300% more likely to be burglarized—but it isn’t the only way to protect your property.2 The strategies below can help to maximize your home’s security and minimize your chances of being targeted by intruders.

Thinking about listing your home? We have some additional recommendations for you. Contact us to find out the procedures we use to keep our clients and their property safe and secure during the buying and selling process.


1. Check Your Doors and Windows


According to home security company ADT, the most common entry point for a burglar is an unlocked front door (34%) followed by a first-floor window (23%) or back door (22%).3 So securing these points of entry is essential.

?Evaluate the condition of your doors and locks.

A steel door is generally considered the strongest, but many homeowners prefer the look of wood. Whatever material you choose, make sure it has a solid core and pair it with a Grade 1 or 2 deadbolt lock with a reinforced strike plate.4

?Add window locks and security film.

Aftermarket window locks are an easy and inexpensive upgrade that can provide an additional layer of protection for your home. Choose a lock that is compatible with your window frame material and a style that is appropriate for the window type. And consider using a specialty film on windows that are adjacent to a door. Security film holds shattered glass in place, making the windows more difficult to penetrate.5


2. Landscape for Security

When it comes to outdoor landscaping, many of us think about maintenance and curb appeal. But the choices we make can impact our home’s security, as well. Thieves target homes that they can enter and exit without being detected. Here are a few tweaks that can make your property less appealing to potential intruders.

?Increase visibility from the street.

A privacy hedge may keep out nosy neighbors, but it can also welcome thieves—so trim overgrown trees and shrubs that obstruct the view of your property. According to police officers, they offer an ideal environment for criminals to hide.6

?Place thorny bushes and noisy gravel below windows.

Don’t eliminate shrubbery altogether, though. Certain hedges can actually offer a deterrent to robbers. Plant thorny rose bushes or sharp-leaved holly beneath your first-story windows for both beauty and protection. Add some loose gravel that crunches when disturbed.


3. Light Your Exterior

When it’s dark outside, criminals don’t need to rely on overgrown shrubbery to hide. Luckily, a well-designed outdoor lighting system can make your home both safer and more attractive.

?Install landscape lighting.

Eliminate pockets of darkness around your yard and home’s perimeter with strategically placed outdoor lights. Use a combination of flood, spot, well, and pathway lights to add interest and highlight natural and architectural details.

?Use motion-activated security lights to startle intruders.

The soft glow of landscape lighting isn’t always enough to dissuade a determined intruder. But a motion-activated security light may stop him in his tracks.And if you choose a Wi-Fi connected smart version, you can receive notifications on your phone when there’s movement on your property.


4. Make It Look Like You’re Home


Motion-activated lights aren’t the only way to make an intruder think you’re at home. New technology has made it increasingly possible to monitor your home while you’re away. This is especially important since most burglaries take place on weekdays between 10 am and 3 pm, when many of us are at work or school.2

?Turn on your TV and leave a car in the driveway.

A survey of convicted burglars revealed that the majority avoid breaking into homes if they can hear a television or if there’s a vehicle parked in the driveway.7 If you’re away from home, try connecting your TV to a timer or smart plug. And when you travel, leave your car out or ask a neighbor to park theirs in your driveway.

?Install a video doorbell.

In that same survey, every respondent said they would knock or ring the doorbell before breaking into a home. A video doorbell not only alerts you to the presence of a visitor, it also enables you to see, hear, and talk with them remotely from your smartphone—so they’ll never know you’re gone.


5. Keep Valuables Out of Sight


Few home invasions are conducted by criminal masterminds. In fact, a survey of convicted offenders found that only 12% planned their robberies in advance, while the majority acted spontaneously.8 That’s one of the reasons security experts caution against placing valuables where they are visible from the outside.9

?Check sightlines from your doors and windows.

Don’t tempt robbers with a clear view of the most commonly stolen items, which are cash (think purses and wallets), jewelry, electronics, firearms, and drugs (both illegal and prescription).6 Take a walk around your property to make sure none of these items are easily visible.

?Secure valuables in a safe.

Consider the possessions that are on display inside your home, as well. It’s always a good idea to lock up firearms, sensitive documents, and expensive or irreplaceable items when you have housekeepers or other service providers on your property.


6. Highlight Your Security Measures


While it’s prudent to hide your valuables, it’s equally important to advertise your home’s security features. In surveys, convicted burglars admit to avoiding homes with obvious protective measures in place.7,8

?Install outdoor cameras.

Security cameras are the most common home protection device and for good reason.10 Not only do they help prevent crime (burglars are known to avoid them), they can offer peace of mind for homeowners who want to sneak a peek at their property while away.11 And if you do experience a break-in, security camera footage can help police identify your intruder.

?Post warning signs.

Security system placards and beware-of-dog signs are also shown to be effective deterrents.8 Of course, you should back up your threats with a noisy alarm and loud barking dog for maximum impact.


7. Limit What You Share on Social Media

Social media platforms can be a great way to stay connected with friends and family, but it’s easy to reveal more than you’ve intended. Be thoughtful about what you’re posting—and who has access.

?Delay posting photos or travel updates.

It can be tempting to upload a concert selfie or pictures from your beach vacation. But these types of photos scream: “My house is unoccupied!” Try to wait until you’ve returned home to share the photos on social media.

?Set privacy restrictions on your accounts.

Think twice about connecting with strangers or casual acquaintances on social media. If you enjoy sharing family updates and personal photos, it’s safer to limit your followers to those you truly know and trust.


YOUR HOME IS SAFE WITH US


We take home security seriously. That’s why we have screening procedures in place to keep our clients and their homes safe when they are for sale. We also remind our buyers to change the locks before they move into their new homes and provide referrals to locksmiths and home security companies that can help. To learn more about our procedures and how you can stay safe during the buying and selling process, contact us to schedule a free consultation!



Sources:

1. Federal Bureau of Investigation -
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/burglary

2. Bankrate -
https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/homeowners-insurance/house-burglary-statistics/

3. ADT -
https://www.adt.com/resources/how-do-burglars-break-into-houses

4. National Crime Prevention Council -
https://www.ncpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/locking-your-home-reva-1-pdf.pdf

5. SafeWise -
https://www.safewise.com/blog/10-simple-ways-to-secure-your-new-home/

6. Forbes -
https://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2014/03/20/how-your-landscaping-can-keep-burglars-away/?sh=2a8addf27429

7. KGW News -
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/investigations/86-burglars-say-how-they-break-into-homes/283-344213396

8. Science Daily -
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130516160916.htm

9. Security.org -
https://www.security.org/home-security-systems/home-invasion-protection/

10. SafeWise -
https://www.safewise.com/resources/security-stats-facts/

11. The Guardian -
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/aug/18/former-burglars-barking-dogs-cctv-best-deterrent




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Roman is a highly experienced, professional, transparent, and reliable individual. He helped my wife and I through a very difficult transaction and never gave up on meeting our deadlines. He is an excellent negotiator with a very personalized touch. Highly recommended!

 

~ Slava

Roman, Liana, and the team successfully guided us to our first home purchase. It was a great experience - they are attentive, thoughtful, hard working and always had our interests in mind, while navigating our concerns as first time home buyers. We highly recommend Parkway and we look forward to many years of working with the firm.

 

~ Michael

Roman made buying our first home less stressful by walking us through the process, preparing us for all possibilities, and being by our side. Not only did he negotiate an amazing price (under ask), but he also got us a sizable amount of credits for issues he found in the house. He's a great guy and will have your best interest at heart. 2 thumbs, 5 stars!

 

~ Lawrence

Roman, Liana, and the team successfully guided us to our first home purchase. It was a great experience - they are attentive, thoughtful, hard working and always had our interests in mind. We highly recommend Parkway and we look forward to many years of working with the firm.

 

~ Allison

Roman Shersher at Parkway Estate Properties recently represented us in purchasing a home in LA and did a superb job. With his professional and quality help, we were able to close escrow swiftly and smoothly. He was on top of all the necessary items and procedures every step the way. He even went above and beyond to ensure the move into our new home was done properly. We highly recommend Parkway Estate Properties for anyone who’s looking to buy or sell a home knowing that you would receive the best services from them as we did.

 

~ Angela

Roman was instrumental in us finding and moving into our new home. He did everything in his power to ensure a smooth transition for us, even going above and beyond to arrange a moving service for me. Roman & Liana also helped arrange a plumber/handyman to help fix some minor things before we moved in. He made sure we felt comfortable with every aspect of the house before moving forward, constantly giving us updates as we navigated many things remotely post-COVID. Would highly recommend Roman Shersher and Parkway Estate Properties for your next property purchase! Thank you, Roman & Liana!

 

~ Elise

My husband and I just bought our first home thanks to Roman, Liana, and their team at Parkway Estate Properties. They made the whole process very smooth and truly took care of us. We couldn't be more grateful for how professional they were, trustworthy, personable and went above and beyond. They are a great team who we highly recommend to anyone buying or selling their home!

 

~ Anna

Working with Roman and the Parkway Estate team has been a delightful experience! Roman’s responsiveness, organization, and professionalism throughout the selling process showed me I made the right decision hiring him as my Realtor. I had a unique situation and needed to sell as quickly as possible. He worked with me and my timelines and got multiple offers within a week of listing my property using his incredible marketing tactics to get an offer accepted well-above our asking price! I would recommend Roman and the entire Parkway Estate team to anyone looking to sell their home.

 

~ D

Roman is one of the best brokers I have had the pleasure working with on both commercial and residential transactions. He is respectful, focused, intelligent, tactile, honest, and, most importantly, trustworthy. As his client, you will always feel like you are the priority. I would recommend him to both novice and sophisticated buyers/sellers alike. After working with Roman, working with others will be a difficult and uncomfortable experience.

 

~ Jonathan

Roman was great. We looked for a property for many months and couldn’t find what we wanted or get it accepted once we did. Roman not only beat out another offer but got us $40k off the list price and all the necessary repairs covered fully by the seller!

 

~ Fred

After dealing with a ton of brokers/agents trying to find my dream home for over a year, Roman stepped up to the plate and found me a perfect home within 30 days. He is persistent and follows up daily, while maintaining a professional demeanor. He is also a hell of a negotiator and gets the job done at the price you want. Highly recommend and will definitely use in any future real estate deals.

 

~ Jeff

Roman was our agent who sold our old house and helped us buy a new one. Our experience was unbelievably great, he is a very loyal professional, honest and very fair. He fights for you, and doesn't pressure you into making any moves that you are not comfortable with. Technology made life so easy for us to be able to just sign over the phone without any problems. He will definitely be our agent if we would want to make any kind of move in the future. He is trustworthy and take his business seriously I really appreciated his hard work

 

~ Tammy

Roman was sought for his house flipping expertise. Our house required work thus someone familiar with rehab projects was a big plus. From start he explained the pros and cons of various approaches to consider making the decision process easily comprehensible. Where he really shined was in escrow. He brought in multiple buyers and finessed a sweetheart close. Roman is a true professional with integrity.

 

~ Alex

It has been a wonderful experience working with Roman. I found him business-like, cordial, flexible, knowledgeable, and FUN! He was very reliable and I’m pleased indeed with him. A sincere person he is.

 

~ Gerry

I would recommend my friends and strangers that are going through difficult times with their housing problems to talk to Roman, he can help you work it out!

 

~ Oscar

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