40+ Ex-Burglars Spill Their Tricks to Help People Avoid Being Robbed and It’s Eye-Opening

Obviously, you can’t just disappear when you’re getting ready to go on vacation. There are certain people you have to tell for safety reasons if nothing else.

That being said, there’s a difference between telling a trusted friend you’ll be out of town and making it public knowledge. It might seem like a rudimentary concept but many people forget that there’s a danger to posting about your vacation before you leave or before you get back. It paints quite a target!

We’ve discussed and will continue to discuss how keeping things in obvious or common places can lead to an increased risk of them being stolen. So, where should you put things?

This person who was a victim of their friend-turned-burglar learned this by going through it themselves. If you have your valuables hidden by something burglars won’t want to mess with — for example, dirty laundry — it’s more likely that it won’t be discovered.

This tip doesn’t come from a burglar but someone who realizes they could easily be one if they wanted. While they were legitimate, too many people trusted them on their word alone.

Working as a door-to-door salesperson, this Reddit user found out that no one asked them to prove their credentials or identity before allowing them into the home. If they wanted to do something with malicious intent, this would serve as an easy way to get in even if someone was home.

If there’s one thing that is sure to scare burglars away, it’s the idea of tangling with a guard dog or even a pet protecting their owner – this Reddit user can attest to this.

With that in mind, it isn’t a good idea for everyone to get a dog, especially if they don’t have the means to take care of them. If this is the case, you aren’t completely out of luck. Rather, putting up a “Beware of Dog” sign will have a similar effect.

For a unique tip, you can rely on faking a burglar out to help keep them from getting in. This Reddit user came up with a pretty clever plan when it came to people breaking into their home.

They hid a spare key under their doormat, as many people do, but they glued it down. While they aren’t a burglar themselves, the cameras they had on their porch proved the concept works. They’ve seen people try to grab the key, realize it’s a trick, and run off.

It’s a common setup in many homes for keys to be right by the door. This way, you can just grab them off the hook or out of a bowl as you leave the house.

Unfortunately, this makes them easy for anyone to grab. By having your keys readily available by the door, you increase your risk of not only having a home that’s been broken into by a burglar but having your car stolen as well.

Alongside making your keys less readily available, you need to make sure you don’t make your car readily available to strangers either. If you don’t, you risk your car being stolen or burglarized.

As this person shared, a staggering number of people actually leave their cars unlocked — many with the keys still inside the car! This makes it incredibly easy to get into a car to steal items or cash and even just drive the car away without a problem.

Having a spare key to your house is important and sometimes even necessary. Everyone forgets or loses a key from time to time and can’t always afford to call a locksmith.

Yet, too many people put those keys in obvious places that make them easy for a burglar to find. Some of the most common spots for spare keys include on top of the door frame, under a potted plant, or under a doormat, making them easy for a burglar to find.

When you go to bed or leave the house, you probably make sure that your doors are all locked. For maximum safety, though, you should add a little more to your daily routine.

This person shared that while they were a teenager, they committed a few acts of burglary, mostly in schools. They did learn one important thing — if someone can’t get in through the door and they’re determined to gain access, they’re likely to take advantage of an unlocked window.

There’s nothing that puts you quite as at risk of burglary as having something valuable on display in full view for anyone to see.

This is especially true when it comes to protecting yourself from burglars who are car-hopping. If you have valuables in your car, someone is more likely to try and break into it. As such, it’s a good idea to take anything of value like cash, cards, and your phone with you rather than leaving them behind.

This burglar shared a tip that is crucial to know. When a burglar breaks into your home, one of the first places they’ll look is your closet if they’re able.

While you can’t help that this could happen, you can reduce the risk that you’ll lose something valuable. Closets are a hotspot for theft because it’s where many people keep valuable wearable items such as jewelry. To protect your items as much as possible, don’t keep your valuables in obvious places.

This person wasn’t a burglar themselves but they did get a handy tip about how to avoid the hassle! It’s an especially useful tip when someone is already in your home.

Specifically, if you’ll want to pay attention to this advice if you have a maid service or other cleaner in your home. These workers will see more of your home than the average visitor like a cable installation. Because of this, hiding places such as under your pillow will be easy to find.

While it seems obvious not to leave your garage door open overnight, it’s still an important fact to remember. Really, you should avoid keeping your garage door open at all when you aren’t there.

This burglar shared on Reddit that even when someone is working in their garage but leaves it open to go inside for a moment, this creates a window of opportunity for burglars. With an open garage door, it’s very easy for someone to slip in and take things while you aren’t looking.

While certain safes have their pros and cons, there is one way to use a small safe that could help save your belongings. This Reddit user knows by practice that this is a good idea.

If you purchase a cheap safe that could be easily stolen, try using it as a decoy. Don’t keep anything of value in it but, since it’s a safe, a burglar breaking into your home is likely to assume there’s something valuable inside. They’ll take that before checking.

There are a lot of tips available here and elsewhere to make your home look less like it’s worth a burglar’s time to be robbed. They all usually come down to one concept: security.

As this person shared, if you live in a populated neighborhood, it isn’t always about a specific level of security. Sometimes, as harsh as it may seem, it’s just about being the most secure on the block. If someone robs the area then, your house is less likely to be targeted.

This Reddit user expanded on what they learned from the previous one. While a glued down door key is clever, a fake door key might be the way to go too.

Once again, burglars want to be fast. As such, if they look for a spare and find it, they’ll just unlock the door and go in. Another user added that this is useful with a doorbell camera active to catch a glimpse of the guilty party.

In all reality, a burglar is more likely to break into your home when you aren’t there. This is a tactic that minimizes risk and gives them a little more room to nefariously explore your home.

This means that your home is more vulnerable when you’re out of town if you don’t take the right precautions. It’s helpful to use a smart light that you can turn on and off when you aren’t there too for an added effect of someone actively being in the house.

This Reddit user offered another tip to help out if your home is already being burglarized. Specifically, they have tips that will help keep your electronics in your home.

If you want to make an effort to try and keep your TV in place, it’s a good idea to mount the TV rather than simply set it up on an entertainment stand. A freestanding TV monitor is another thing that is easy to grab and run with but a mounted TV monitor takes time to uninstall.

A slightly more macabre tip comes from this Reddit user. What should you do in order to prevent burglaries of a house that belongs to someone who recently passed?

It’s usually common knowledge when someone has passed away and when the funeral will be. This is, in large part, thanks to the readily available information on social media. Since close friends will be at the funeral, it’s a good idea to find a housesitter during this time.

If a burglar is robbing your house, they usually don’t want to stick around too long. The longer they stay in the house, the higher risk they have of being caught and even apprehended.

This burglar shared that when they broke into a home, they didn’t want to spend more than about 15 minutes inside before making a break for it. This means that they didn’t have time to fight to get into something. In turn, inconvenient hiding and security spots are typically avoided.

While many burglars are likely to do things the easy way, there are plenty out there that take their time as this Reddit user learned from their ex-burglar classmate.

Even though it wasn’t their primary method for getting their hands on people’s valuables, it was effective. They would “borrow” a piece of equipment, leave an apology note, and even buy them tickets to an event. Then, while they were gone, that was the prime time to break into the house.

While it might seem like a good idea, there are distinct disadvantages to keeping valuable items in a small lockbox. Namely, it’s too close to the concept of keeping your valuables in a small safe.

Even if a lockbox is well-disguised, if a burglar does happen to see it, they just have to carry it away. Since it’s locked, they’re likely to assume that there’s something worth stealing inside. It’s better to invest in something like a wall safe that can’t be taken easily.

While items that have an obvious monetary value are definitely an important consideration when thinking about burglars, there’s more to theft than direct cash or expensive jewelry.

You’ll also want to consider your medicine cabinet. As this burglar shares, one of the quickest tricks they had was to scoop everything out of the bathroom medicine cabinet. If you have a medication that you really need and are worried about theft, it’s a good idea to keep it somewhere less obvious.

It often seems that one of the most surefire ways to protect your things is to invest in a safe to lock them in. However, this isn’t as foolproof as you might think.

As this former burglar shared, finding the right safe is key to protecting your belongings. This doesn’t mean a safe that isn’t easy to break into either. Specifically, you’ll want to look for a safe that’s bolted down and a little heavier. Otherwise, it’s easy to carry away to break into later.

It’s long been a point of focus for parents that kids shouldn’t answer the door. After all, you never know what could happen, right?

One of the possibilities lies in the fact that children don’t always have the skills to recognize if someone is suspicious or not. That makes it very easy for them to think they might be helping by grabbing the door but actually let someone into your home that you don’t want inside.

If you’re someone who carries a purse around with you, you probably already know that you have to be careful so it doesn’t get stolen. It can happen quickly, though!

This Reddit user wasn’t a burglar themselves but they did know a few of their friends’ tricks. For one, they used to ride bikes around parking lots. This gave them a little more speed than running when they snatched purses up out of shopping carts. Put your purse in the car first.

Moving into a home usually means that there are certain things that you can’t immediately control, like the windows in your home. However, a little renovation could be necessary.

This is the case if you have windows that you can open from the outside. While broken windows are a major concern during a break-in, you also don’t want windows that can be easily opened from the outside either. That will offer an easier and quieter way to get into your home.

When we think of valuables, we often think of the obvious options. This includes things like cash, jewelry, electronics, and debit or credit cards.

It could be the things that you don’t necessarily think about as valuable that actually pose a high risk, though. For one, college students should be aware that their textbooks are viable targets, particularly when they’re on campus. Not only are these expensive losses but they can be resold for quick cash.

Since burglars have a few tips they rely on, as we’ve discussed throughout this list, it’s often good to think outside the box. The more unique you are, the harder it will be to find your valuables.

There are plenty of niche tips that you can find online to help you out and you can even come up with some of your own. Like this person said in their example, a burglar would have to be around a while to find something like a false outlet.

We already discussed that things like social media aren’t your friend if you’re announcing you’re going on vacation. There are few other safety rules to follow, too.

A big one is that you shouldn’t make posts about expensive purchases that you’ve made. For one, it’s basically an advertisement that there’s something valuable in your home. Even worse, social media gives that information to more people than just seeing evidence directly from the outside of your house.

This Reddit user made the definition between two types of burglars — those that know you and know where to look, and the common burglar just looking to get in and out as quickly as possible.

One of their recommendations included making sure that items that could be valuable aren’t easy to pick up and leave with. However, this person reminded us that some items are more valuable to a burglar than we might think. For example, your toolbox shouldn’t be on full display and easy to take.

This tip didn’t come from a burglar themselves but rather someone who came home one day to find out their apartment had been burglarized. They shared one of the biggest lessons they learned that day.

When they spoke to the police about the incident, they were told that the burglar had worked quickly. As such, they had primarily checked the usual spots. That’s when the police told the victim of the crime that, in the future, it’s better to avoid keeping valuables in the nightstand.

While your home and car are crucial to protect for its high value, you’ll want to make sure that your tool shed or garage is locked up tight as well.

If you don’t, you do more than to open yourself up to having these tools stolen. Those same tools can also be used to help gain access to your home, even if it is locked. This burglar warns homeowners to be careful about what tools they leave out and available to burglars.

If you’re trying to hide things in your home, it’s a good idea to try and get a fresh pair of eyes to see if others find your hiding spots as inventive as you do.

This Reddit user learned from their uncle who covered robberies that a great tip is to have a friend or family member you trust to help you out. They shouldn’t help hide things but after you hide them, you can call on these people to see if they can find it.

There’s plenty in your home that might not seem like you can make it secure without extensive work. For instance, how do you stop your windows from being easily broken?

There’s actually a solution! You can purchase a shatterproof film that’s made to stop your window from being easily broken. This is a transparent solution that won’t take away from the appearance of your windows but it will keep someone from breaking your window to get in.

Hiding your cash and valuables is of paramount importance in the case that a burglar breaks into your home — we’ve already covered this pretty extensively and there are more tips to come!

This ex-burglar had a pretty good tip for the average, middle-class homeowner. One of the best places to hide money is in an attic or basement where it won’t stand out. If you hide it in amongst old boxes, burglars are less likely to recognize anything in that pile as potentially valuable.

While you ideally want to keep a burglar out of your house entirely, sometimes you can’t prepare everything. That’s where this tip comes in handy.

If you have something highly valuable that you’re afraid of getting stolen, the best bet is to keep it somewhere other than in your house. This way, if you experience a break-in, you still won’t lose some of your most precious items. It could be worth paying for a safe deposit box at your bank, for example.

There are plenty of different security measures available on the market and each one has a distinct set of benefits that you can take advantage of. Some are even more helpful than others.

One pretty great tool to invest in is some type of camera system for your home. This will help you keep an eye on your home and have evidence if a burglar were to break in. Yet, it’s helpful to put up a sign announcing the cameras.

There are hiding places in your home that might seem clever but just don’t have the same anonymity that they once did. That’s why it’s a good idea to stray from common choices.

This person learned from their ex, who was a burglar, that hiding places like keeping money and valuables in a book or freezer are particularly unsafe. These are easy-to-find hiding spots that, at this point, are popular enough to be one of the first places that a burglar would work.

There are plenty of different types of doors you can use in your home. However, this ex-burglar on Reddit advises against using sliding glass doors to get in and out of the house.

Their reasoning behind this is that sliding glass doors are one of the easiest types to get into. Even if you invest in a home security system made specifically to protect sliding glass doors, there’s still a good chance that a burglar could get around them.

It’s no surprise that alarm systems help prevent most burglaries. A study on the habits of burglars by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte found that 83% of burglars check for an alarm before trying to enter a home.

More than half of the former burglars surveyed would move on if they knew a home had an alarm. If for some reason you cannot have an alarm system installed, you can always put up similar or fake signs and stickers which can be easily found online.

Open windows can unintentionally offer a revealing peek into your home. A burglar may be scoping out homes in a neighborhood by peering through windows to see who’s home, and what each house has inside.

A simple and inexpensive way to prevent giving away this information is by putting up sheer net curtains or blinds. Net curtains allow some light to filter through but obscure any details such as an expensive television or other electronics that can be seen from a window.

This next tip is especially useful for renters. Typically, renters will receive a set of keys from their new landlord after signing the contract for their new home. In many cases, these keys were the same keys given to the property’s former tenants.

The problem is that there’s no way to know if those former tenants made additional copies of those keys — meaning that there may be additional sets of your house keys floating around. Always replace and change locks and keys after moving into a new place.

This former burglar shared this detailed tip regarding the specific type of movie or show you should be playing. It’s interesting to note that they suggest playing a gory action movie because the viewer of such a film is most likely to be a male and most likely to be armed.

Just hearing the sound of a television is often enough to make a criminal rethink breaking in as they may decide the risk of confrontation is just too much.

Parents of young children are more likely to be home during the prime break-in hours of the day compared to other types of homeowners. Whether it’s stay-at-home parents, parents that are taking care of a sick child, or babysitters, someone is usually home.

Most intruders want to avoid the possibility of breaking in while someone is home, so knowing that a parent might be home during the day could definitely be a deterrent.

One of the most common pieces of advice when discussing preventing burglaries is to get a dog. While dogs definitely can deter burglars, it isn’t always necessary to have the most vicious and ferocious dog in the neighborhood.

Most burglars want to get in and out of a home as quickly as possible without being detected. While most dogs will bark at a home intruder, many smaller breeds are known to bark continuously or yap. This loud and attention-grabbing noise is the last thing a sneaky intruder wants.

Most detached single-family homes feature some sort of fencing or division between houses. While it can be tempting to erect a tall and solid fence or bushes around your home’s perimeter, it can have an unintended effect.

This former burglar shared that these enclosed backyards could sometimes be a bit too private, allowing him to do whatever he wanted without the neighbors being able to see. While no one likes a nosy neighbor, having another set of eyes on your property isn’t always a bad thing.

Burglaries featured in television shows or movies are often shown occurring at night. The truth is that most residential burglaries happen during the day. A report compiled by Arizona State University stated that close to 60% of reported burglaries happened during the day.

The reason is that during the day, most homes are likely to be unoccupied as people are at work or running errands. At night, the possibility of a confrontation with an armed homeowner or renter is just too much of a risk for most home intruders.

Many people believe that leaving a light on is enough to deter a potential burglar, and while this may be true in some cases, you sometimes need to add some variety to make it seem more realistic.

Leaving the same light on for long periods of time can highlight the fact that no one is home. Lights being turned on and off in various parts of the house may give the illusion of someone being home, possibly deterring a burglar.

When taking a long vacation, many people choose to have their mail or newspaper subscription stopped until they return. While doing so can prevent coming home to a massive pile of mail or newspapers, it can also indicate to potential burglars that no one is home.

This former burglar suggests having a friend bring your mail or newspapers in, and turn on various lights while they’re doing so. By doing this, you’re creating the illusion that someone is home at unpredictable times, increasing the risk of confrontation — something most burglars want to avoid.

While windows and doors are the first places people think to fortify in order to prevent a burglary, there are other parts of the home that could serve as potential break-in entry points.

This Reddit user suggests that people look at the crawl spaces below their homes and make sure those entrances are sealed properly. Large openings of central heat and air conditioning ducts can also make surprisingly easy entry points for someone.

Most movies show people hiding cash in carved-out books or even in freezers. Unfortunately, burglars have seen these movies too, that’s why you sometimes need to think outside the box and get creative when it comes to finding a safe spot for valuables.

This person suggests using condiment bottles as a nondescript place to store your treasures. We especially like the tip about using a stuffed animal to hide cash and other valuables. Just make sure you remember which toy you used!

In the chaos of our everyday lives, it can be easy to forget to lock the deadbolt on our door. Deadbolts provide an additional layer of security to your home, yet many people forget to actually lock them.

Many homes feature a traditional spring-bolt lock and a deadbolt as added security. Most people tend to focus on the spring-bolt lock, which can be easily picked or opened. For this reason, these former burglars suggest that people make sure all locks are properly secured.

This next tip is quite interesting and was discovered by chance. It seems that several Reddit users have noticed a correlation between feeling safer, or experiencing less burglaries, when their male partners have left dirty work boots outside of their home.

The reasoning behind this may be that potential burglars may fear whoever owns those large boots, or assume that a confrontation with the boot owners is just too much of a risk. This creative tip is worth trying out.

College students living off-campus tend to rent or live in the same areas. Whether it’s wanting to be around other people their age or the fact that most students have the same budget, where there’s one student, there are probably many.

Unfortunately, it seems that there isn’t always safety in numbers. Burglars know that most students have the newest cell phones, laptops, and other valuable electronic devices. As this former burglar warns — student-friendly areas are burglar-friendly zones too.

This tip was shared on a Reddit thread about home defense, and while it isn’t the most creative tip, it may help deter potential burglaries. The goal of this tip is to make it seem like someone is home at all times.

Not only does carpooling help the environment, but it may actually help keep your home safe. Burglars monitoring your home may stop and rethink their plan if they see a car in the driveway. Very few burglars want or are prepared to engage with another person.

If carpooling is not an option, there’s another thing you can do to support the illusion of someone being at home — simply pretend to wave at someone in the window. Burglars often survey and watch their potential victim’s behavior and patterns before breaking in.

A convincing wave can make it seem like you’re saying goodbye to someone in your house. In many cases, the burglar will choose not to take the risk of breaking in while someone is home.

Thanks to many examples in the media and pop culture, many people assume that burglars will be dressed in black, with a ski mask and gloves. The truth is that many burglars try their hardest not to stand out.

Instead, they will often dress in classic styles or nondescript clothing so as to not draw any attention to themselves. A man in a business suit or formal clothing wouldn’t look out of place in a nice neighborhood, allowing him to go about his business without arousing suspicion.

Most people at the mechanic are typically concerned with the cost or inconvenience of having their car at the shop, and they often forget to remove their house key or garage door opener from the set of car keys.

Considering that the mechanic may have your personal information, having a key would make it even easier for them to commit a burglary. Always remove your house key and garage door opener from your car keys before handing them off, especially when you’re going to be out of town for a while.

Another tip is to always take the garage door opener with you after parking your car. Most people typically clip their garage door opener or remote to the visor above their seat, or in another nearby location for easy access.

While convenient, this can help criminals easily enter your garage and home. All a burglar would have to do is open your car window or door and take the garage door opener. Having an additional layer of protection for your garage door like a deadbolt is also a good idea.

When you own or rent a home, there are often problems that can only be solved by professionals. While these service providers can be very helpful, letting them into your home can also be a risk.

Technicians, repairmen, and even maids are often given wide access to people’s homes in order to perform their services. This access could provide the perfect opportunity to plan future break-ins or scope out any valuables in their client’s home.

Most homeowners or renters tend to focus on the appearance of their home’s landscaping instead of how it can affect their home’s security. Tall or dense bushes can be great places for burglars to hide as they observe a home, or wait to enter.

This Reddit poster suggests putting spiky plants like rose bushes or other painfully spiny plants around windows. The idea is that few people will want to get tangled up in a sharp and thorny bush, or that wrestling with such a spiky plant will draw attention.

Getting a guard dog, or any dog for that matter, is a great way to deter burglars. For many people, however, owning a dog isn’t a realistic option. So, what should you do to protect your home?

According to this Reddit user, it doesn’t hurt to pretend you have a big and aggressive dog. All you need to do is buy a used dog house, add some mangled-up toys, and a large water dish. Burglars will think twice before they mess with a large and potentially dangerous dog.

One of the easiest ways to improve the appearance of your home is to add outdoor furniture, flowers, and other types of decorations. While these may boost your home’s curb appeal, they can also garner attention from burglars.

This former burglar shared that they would often target homes with expensive-looking outdoor decorations because they assumed that the owner of that home had equally expensive items inside. Considering how expensive it is in many parts of the country to maintain a lawn or meticulously kept garden, he’s probably right.

One of the most common ways that burglars see if someone is home is by knocking on the door of their target house and waiting for the homeowner to answer. In the event that someone does answer the door, the burglar would simply use the excuse that they had the wrong house.

Thankfully, this scam is becoming less common thanks to apps like Next Door where neighbors can quickly share information about events occurring in their neighborhood. These apps can allow people to alert their neighbors and hopefully prevent a crime.

This next tip is a bit out there, but still probably efficient when it comes to deterring would-be criminals. This person’s grandfather chose to use his creativity, and electric tools, to scare off any burglars by using a chainsaw connected to a motion sensor.

We can’t imagine how scary it would be to walk into a home and hear the revving of a chainsaw. Considering how many horror movies feature chainsaws, we’re sure that burglars would immediately make a run for it!

With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it can be difficult to find the time to properly meet your neighbors. In many communities, people can go years living next door to one another without interacting — this is a huge mistake when it comes to home defense.

One of the greatest ways to prevent a burglary is by reporting any suspicious activity near a home or neighborhood. Having multiple eyes on the neighborhood, watching for any suspicious people can be a good way to prevent something bad from happening.

Few people would think twice about giving their home address as their pick-up location to a taxi driver or rideshare driver. Unfortunately, taxi or rideshare drivers can record these home addresses and pass them on to burglars.

Any taxi driver taking you to the airport can easily alert burglars to the fact that your home will be empty. It’s suggested to have the driver pick you up in a public place such as in front of a supermarket or at a different address.

In the United States, setting up a trap in order to protect your property is generally considered illegal. If a burglar or other intruder is injured or killed, the homeowner can be held liable. That said, there are still things you can do to scare someone off of your property.

This Reddit user suggests placing a hollow kayak under a fence in order to make a loud noise announcing the presence of an intruder. Other users have suggested empty cans or other loud objects near possible points of entry.

Making it seem like someone is home is one of the most common tactics that people use to prevent burglaries. Most burglars want to enter and exit a home as quickly as possible, without the possibility of a confrontation with a potentially armed person.

This Reddit user suggests reversing schedules with your roommate, or whoever you live with. While this is obviously easier for some people, the important thing is to minimize the amount of time that a house is empty.

Most people are unfamiliar with the specific parts of their home’s doors, such as the door’s lock strike plate. A strike plate is the metal plate on the side of the door with a hole in it where the latch can enter.

Strong strike plates can prevent the door from being kicked in when the door is locked. Security experts suggest using a minimum of four three-inch screws to properly secure the plate. The same goes for the screws holding the deadbolt in place.

Many modern doors can be easily opened by sliding a credit card into the crack or gap between the door and the doorframe. Eventually, the card will be able to push the latch in and open the door.

The best way to prevent this is by using a long piece of metal called an anti-jemmy strip that essentially covers that gap on outward opening doors. These metal strips are becoming increasingly popular in order to prevent someone from using a card or other tool to open a door.

One of the easiest ways to deter a burglar from targeting your home is to reduce the amount of shadowy dark places where they can hide or observe your home. Installing motion-activated lights outside of your home can help illuminate potential entry points.

These lights can also alert you of any presence, giving you some time to prepare or call the police. We especially like the tip about pointing the lights towards the house, which may prevent helpful neighbors from seeing suspicious activity.

When most people enter their homes, they hang their car keys up or put them on a table near the door. This Reddit user suggests taking your keys to your bedroom and keeping them near your bed.

Burglars or someone casing your home to plan a break-in want to do so unseen and discreetly. By turning on the car alarm, you’ll automatically give them an unexpected surprise and may even make them paranoid that they’ve been spotted.

As other tips have suggested, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the parts of your door. This tip suggests replacing the standard hinges of your door with stronger screws sold for heavy doors.

Door hinges like safety security hinges feature a safety stud that prevents a door from being removed, even if the pin holding the door’s hinge is removed. Invisible hinges are also a good option to provide additional protection as they do not feature a pin, and the hinge is built into the door frame itself.

We’ve already discussed that making sure your house looks like it’s occupied is a great way to avoid becoming a potential target. There are a few measures you can take.

One of the most obvious but often overlooked things to keep up with is your lawn. Since most people try to keep their grass trimmed rather than overgrown, a potential burglar will notice if a house that once kept up with their grass suddenly has a jungle of a yard.

While we’ve covered that particular hiding places are more tempting to burglars, you can also use this detail to your advantage. This is useful, in particular, for burglaries already in progress.

This person shared that when their friend was worried about burglars, she managed to come up with a genius plan. By filling a fake jewelry box with costume jewelry that looked valuable with a bit of money on top, she increased the chance that burglars would take that and avoid her real valuables.

Sometimes, the best way to avoid a burglary altogether is to make sure that you don’t look like a worthwhile target. Burglars are taking a risk to commit theft, so they want to know it will be worth it.

As such, there are certain things that you’ll want to be a little less obvious about. This includes breaking down your boxes. You’re much less likely to be targeted with a broken down box in your bin rather than a whole TV box next to it.

When you purchase a fire-proof safe for your home, you probably expect it to protect you not only from fire but from theft as well.

Yet, this oftentimes isn’t the case. If you purchase a fire safe, you can guarantee that your possessions won’t be damaged in the case of a house fire but, as this burglar shared, it doesn’t guarantee that they’ll be safe from theft. Once again, this just proves that carefully choosing a safe will work out better in the long run.

We’ve talked at length at this point about how you need to make sure you lock up certain things. From your house doors and windows to your car, it’s usually a good idea to keep people out.

Seemingly opposite to this concept, you don’t want to lock drawers in your house. These locks aren’t hard to break into once someone is already in your home. In fact, usually, a burglar only needs a single tool — like a crowbar. It only denotes where the valuables are.

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