What makes a house attractive to burglars? (2023)

What burglars want most from your home?

Cash. Cash is still the king, even as most of us are increasingly shifting to using cards for payment. Cash is often the first thing a burglar will look for, especially in a purse or handbag.

As well as burglar chalk signs, burglars mark houses with almost anything they can; it may be a small blob of paint or a piece of string tied around a lamppost! "White and blue spray paint markings outside the house are the most common colours used by burglars.

Burglars look for jewellery and watches on and inside the dresser, and on the nightstand. Very expensive items might be kept locked away inside a cupboard which the burglars are sure to check.

About 75 percent of burglars revealed that the bedroom was the first place they'd look for things to steal. Meanwhile, 26 percent said they'd check in an office or study, and 19 percent said the living room would be top on their lists (the burglars could choose more than one answer).

Thanks to better lighting and increased traffic, homes in high-visibility places, like on corner lots, are far less likely to be broken into, Paulsen says.

Homes in high-visibility places, like on corner lots, are far less likely to be broken into. There are simply too many potential ways to be seen.

How can you tell if your house has been watched?

Someone may not have stolen anything because they either got scared or didn't find anything to grab. If the burglar thought someone was coming, they wouldn't have time to take anything. If you hide your items well, they may not have found anything to steal in the first place.

Do outside security lights deter burglars? Yes, they do – burglars tend to look for houses with no obvious security. And most break-ins happen at night when intruders can spend time getting into your house under the cloak of darkness. For both these reasons, outdoor light fixtures are a really effective deterrent.

Using Lights To Mimic Human Activity

"People who leave their lights on during the day and they're on 24 hours a day actually attract attention from burglars," says Samantha Nolan, a Citywide Neighborhood Watch trainer for Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department.

Most people keep valuables in their bedrooms, so no surprise that is the first stop for a thief. One of the first things most people don't think about is a burglar typically is looking for a suitcase, bag, or pillow case to use for carrying out all of the stolen goods.

According to her research, an overwhelming majority of burglars enter homes through the doors and windows. Thirty-four percent use the front door, while 22 percent get in through the back door. Twenty-three percent use first-floor windows. And oftentimes, those doors and windows aren't even locked.

No, leaving lights on can make intruders think that you're not home. Use a motion sensor light that turns on when you, or anyone else, comes near so you have light only when you need it.

How do you tell if your house is being cased?

While we hope that no one tries to break into your home, a common tactic burglars use is to knock on someone's door to see if anyone is there before entering. However, even if someone isn't trying to break into your home, they could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, which can be just as dangerous.

They often pick a house by surveilling the neighborhood and finding the one with the most predictable patterns of when people come and go. They also look for properties in more rural or isolated parts of the neighborhood, and houses that are well maintained or have fancy cars in the driveway.

Like we mentioned earlier burglars do not always break into a home at night. Studies have shown that 60 to 70% of all break-ins happen during the day between 6 am and 6 pm. The key time is between noon and 2:30 pm.

Even small dogs may make enough noise to scare away intruders, though. "Research shows that 'occupancy cues' like dogs are major deterrents in attempts to burglarize homes," says K. Campbell, a certified protection professional. "In fact, the research reveals that dogs of any size are effective.

Unfortunately, after one “successful” burglary, intruders are likely to come back and target the same home again. Some studies show that only 1.2% of burgled residences experienced 29% of all burglaries. Repeat burglaries also often occur quickly after the first one—25% within one week and 51% within one month.

There are hoards of people who genuinely believe that robbers have hatched a new cunning plan in order to relieve homeowners of their goods. The dastardly plan is simple and effective – they burn a CD outside a window and presto, everyone, including the dogs, falls into a toxic sleep.

While most burglars gain entry through doors, the second most common area susceptible to break-ins is first-floor windows. Second-floor windows are more difficult to reach and far less likely to be the source of a criminal's attack. Fortunately, you have choices on how to prevent break-ins through your windows.

#1. Cash. Cash is always on the top of burglars' wish list. Unlike other most commonly stolen items that need to be resold in pawn shops or on the street, cash can be used directly and quickly without any conspicuous.

65% of people who've been burglarized know the burglar. No one wants to imagine a scenario where they are being burglarized, and we wouldn't wish home burglary on anyone. What's more, the majority of burglaries were committed by people who knew their victims, according to a 2020 SafeAtLast report.

What is the number 1 most stolen item?

Batteries. These are small, expensive items in regular demand. Clothing accessories: these include scarves, handbags, purses, gloves and other small and expensive things. Coffee: coffee is an expensive item in regular demand and may be stolen for person use or re-sale.

The average home invasion lasts between 8 to 10 minutes, with some as quick as 90 seconds! Burglars have to be quick, which means they can't be picky about what they snatch. Usually, burglars aim to grab cash, electronics, prescription drugs, or jewelry.

You should treat your porch light the same as you would any other room in the house. Not only is leaving the lights on overnight bad for the environment, but it also suggests that the home is not in use if it is left on overnight.

Security cameras will generally deter and reduce burglary. If you install a security camera, your home is 300 % safer from break-ins than a home without a camera. Criminals don't want to be watched or recorded-this is one of the major reasons they are so effective.

Leaving clues you're away and obvious patterns

In general, burglars want to avoid all possible chances of getting caught. This means that they'll also target homes where it appears that the owner of the home is away (and, also checks off other boxes in terms of how easy it would be to get in).

Most burglaries happen in the summertime between the summer months of June and August. Frequent home invasions happen between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm when the home owners are commonly away from the home. However, 27.6% of all home burglaries, someone is home during a burglary.

It is scary enough to experience one home intrusion. Multiple break-ins are even more frightening. Unfortunately, after one “successful” burglary, intruders are likely to come back and target the same home again. Some studies show that only 1.2% of burgled residences experienced 29% of all burglaries.