DON'T:
Install but not use an alarm system. Virtually every pricey house that is burglarized has some type of alarm that is not turned on.
DO:
Arm the alarm even if you are only running out for 15 minutes. Experienced burglars snoop neighborhoods and learn when people go to work or leave for errands and how long they will be to be gone. They're ready to move the minute you are gone.
Get a zone alarm setup that has room to room settings. You can leave the bedroom alarm armed when you're in the dining, for example.
The better alarms offer multiple layers of security, motion, heat light sensors, etc.
DON'T:
Posting alarm signs that indicate what alarm company you are using. Burglars can buy information on how the systems are wired and can easily bypass them..
DO:
Buy generic signs that read, 'This home has installed an alarm system. As long as it does not give detailed information, it can be an excellent deterrent.
DON'T:
Leave lights on. A light that stays on all the time is no more of a deterrent than a home that is dark. Use timers that turn on an off lights in various parts of the home at different intervals. Web retailers and home stores offer motion detectors that turn on lights or appliances if somebody enters the home.
DON'T:
Hide items in the bedroom. It's the first place burglars go. Most robbers spend 15 minutes or less in a house.More than half of the time is spent in the bedroom, looking in the usual hiding spots, an underwear drawer under the mattress closets, etc. Don't store all of your valuables in one place. A thief is less likely to get everything if you put items in different areas.
DO:
Keep money or jewelry you rarely wear in a safe-deposit box. Hide other items in spots where burglars don't think to look, like the garage, or above dropped ceilings. Or store valuables in the deep freeze or in diversion safes made for this purpose.
DON'T:
Get a big dog. A rottweiler or German shepherd might seem scary, but burglars don't care. Most big dogs, unless they're trained as guard dogs, aren't barkers. Get a little yap dog, a little dog that makes a lot of noise when disturbed.
DON'T:
Hide windows with landscaping. Tall shrubs allow burglars a safe, dark place to force open windows without being seen. Keep bushes trimmed to below window level.
