Have you ever wondered what parts of your home are most susceptible to break-ins? If so, you’re not alone. Many people want to know if their homes are in danger of being broken into. That being said, here is how the typical burglar assesses a home and proceeds to break in.
Case it
Before a burglar decides to break into a home or not, he or she will case the property. Casing is simply the burglar’s act of studying the homeowner’s habits — your habits. They want to know when you come home, when you go to work, when you have friends over, when you work late, and so on and so forth. By knowing your schedule, the burglar has a better chance of breaking in without worrying about you walking in while they’re there. A good way to make casing difficult for burglars is to have an open door policy for friends and family and to switch up your schedule every now and again. If the burglar can’t nail down your schedule, he will feel less confident breaking in.
Easy Access
While casing your home, a burglar will look for the easiest access into your home. This could be an old, weathered back door, a single pained window that is easy to break or shimmy open, or even a glass door that could easily be broken. Burglars will even look for the presence of large pet doors. To deter burglars, make sure you replace any and all old, worn out windows and doors.
Percentages
Okay, so you’ve made sure all weak access points are fixed and that your scheduled isn’t too predictable; that being said, here are some numbers that show which areas of your home burglars tend to break in through. 34 percent of burglars enter through the front door, 23 percent gain access through a first-floor window, 22 percent prefer using the back door, and only 9 percent will access your home through the garage. By knowing these statistics, you can better protect your home from burglars.
