You’re leaving the house for the day, but you can’t help but think about the question: Will your home be safe while you are gone? Over 1.5 million burglaries took place in the U.S. in 2016, and approximately 70 percent of those burglaries were in homes and apartments. Criminals are typically searching for a quick target, so here are a few things you can do to make your home an unattractive home for burglars.

Landscaping

You can make landscaping choices that serve as a great DIY home security to help discourage thieves from targeting your home.  Shrubs aren't only a wonderful decorative feature for your yard -- they could also acts as deterrents that block entry into your house.  You'll want to cut them so that any prospective thieves won't be able to use the shrubs as a hiding place so that neighbors and passersby will be able to spot any suspicious activity going on outside your property.   Safety experts recommend the"three-foot-by-six-foot principle" of keeping shrubs and plants trimmed down to three feet tall. Tree branches should be kept six feet from the ground so that thieves cannot climb them and access any second-story windows.  Consider planting prickly shrubs or rose bushes as further deterrents.  

Lighting

An important part of home security is making it look like your house is occupied even when no one is home.  Burglars are usually not searching for a confrontation, and a poll of convicted burglars found that 60 percent of them would think twice about targeting a house in which the lights were on inside.  Install lights with motion sensors all over the exterior of your property and consider placing timers in your inside lights to give the illusion that there is someone at home when you visit the office or go out of town.

Visible security systems

On a related note, maintaining your neighbors informed when you are out of town may also offer additional security.   Any would-be burglars casing your residence will take note of the neighbors that are coming and going and may back off.

In the earlier mentioned survey, two-thirds of the thieves said that should they saw a security camera placed outside a home, it would dissuade them from trying to enter.  Even dummy cameras can act as a deterrent. Consider placing an extremely visible sign in your yard or a sticker in your windows to remind any potential thieves that you have a security system in place and that they are being watched.  Many home security systems will allow you to remotely monitor a live feed so you'll have the ability to keep an eye on your house even when you're not there.

The most important point to remember is that burglars are generally searching for easy targets.  Whether it's using landscaping as a barrier or simply locking your doors and windows, anything that serves as a physical deterrent will help disincentivize burglars.

Lock up

Take precautions by installing a dead-bolt lock to every exterior-facing door.  Before you leave the house, don't forget to also check that the door in your garage leading into your home is also secured since this is a common point of entry to thieves.  Don't hide any spare keys outside your house as burglars frequently check common hiding places like under the doormat or inside the mailbox.

You may be amazed to learn that many burglars gain access to homes without using any special tools.  According to some 2015 report issued by the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 35.5 percent of burglaries were unlawful entries where no force was used, meaning that thieves managed to access homes through unlocked windows and doors or managed to find a spare key.  According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there is also an 11% rise in burglary rates through the summer, so keep this in mind next time you decide to leave your door or patio door open for some fresh air.