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  1. Home
  2. Better Life

10 things making your home attractive to thieves

Are you making these 10 mistakes? - by Laura Barry
  • 02 Sep 2019
10 things making your home attractive to thieves

No one likes to think about the possibility that their home might be broken into, and their precious belongings stolen, Unfortunately, recent data indicates that one burglary takes place every three minutes in Australia, and that 20.3% of Australian homes have been burgled at some point. It’s important that homeowners are aware of the things that make a property attractive to a potential thief.

It only takes 75% of burglars 5 minutes or less to illegally gain entry to a property, and research conducted by Budget Direct found that of the reported break-ins, 74% of the households had property stolen and 49% of the households had property damaged. 

Research by police also found that the main reasons perpetrators targeted a home were because the house appeared vacant or unoccupied, the rubbish bins were left outside, no lights were on in the evening, there were no vehicles parked in the driveway or the mailbox was overflowing.

thief caught on camera
Getty

With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of reasons a burglar might target your home.

  • Not using all the locks on your door, all the time
    One lock is easy to get past, but two locks might put a would-be thief off his game.
  • Having parcels left at the front door or in the front garden
    It’s easy for thieves to steal from you without being confronted.
  • Leaving boxes for expensive gadgets on the streets outside your house
    It shows potential thieves what you have inside your home.
  • An unlocked or unsecured mail box
    Your mail could be stolen and used in identity theft.
  • Leaving the remote to your garage door or gate in a visible spot in your car
    It’s easy to break a car window, grab the remote and gain access to a house.
  • Leaving spare keys under door mats and pot plants
    They’re the first places anyone checks for spare keys.
  • Leaving first-level windows unlocked
    An unlocked window is just as good as an unlocked door, and flyscreen won’t protect your home.
  • An overgrown and unkept front garden
    This suggests no one is home, or won’t notice things going missing.
  • Unlocked or unsecured garden shed or garage
    Power tools and bicycles can be worth a lot of money and are expensive to replace, so be sure to lock them up.
  • Not having motion-sensor lights outside
    Thieves can gain access to a property without being seen at night time, so make the job harder by putting motion-sensor security lights around your property.

You might also like:

The biggest home security mistake, according to an ex-thief

5 strange items being stolen from Aussie homes right now 

Want to know how to fit new window locks? Watch the video below.

Laura Barry
Laura Barry
Laura Barry is a writer, bookworm and interior design enthusiast with a love for reporting on all things homes, travel and lifestyle. When not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura can be found making endless cups of tea or perusing the shelves of Sydney’s many bookstores.

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