Ever heard of scelerophobia? Scelerophobia is the fear of burglars, the number one property crime concern across America, according to the 2020 State of Safety survey. More than 62% of the respondents to this survey named a break-in as their top property crime worry.

The fear is not only about experiencing a physical attack, but also being afraid of stealing personal belongings from the home. It’s both interesting and frightening to hear that a burglar strikes every 25.7 seconds in the US (according to the FBI). This means that more than two burglaries occur every minute, and over 3,300 burglaries are happening each day.

Statistic is alarming and justifies why so many people want to protect their valuables from home. Home security systems and cameras are expensive indeed, but there are various measures you can take to protect your valuables at home when you’re away, on a budget, and here are some of them.

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Lock-up your place

The first tip sounds very obvious, but people still forget to lock the door when they’re in a hurry. Therefore, many thieves and burglars take advantage of unlocked homes. So, no matter the period of the day, and even if you’re away for a short time, always make sure to lock-up your doors and windows. Before you go, also check if the garage is properly locked up, as well as your car and other important doors.

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Put your valuables in a safe

Installing a safe in a secret place in your home is an inexpensive way to protect your valuables such as jewelry, cash, credit cards, and others. Money and jewelry are most often stolen items according to the ABS Crime Victimization Survey 2009-10. A safe can safely keep your items from burglars, but you need a safe that is fire-resistant, waterproof, and heavy enough that it can’t be stolen easily.

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Turn the lights on

The good, old trick.  Leaving your lights on while you’re away, will create an illusion that someone is at home. This will keep burglars and thieves away from your home. Turn on the lights around your home and back yard, and near the garage. If you want an inexpensive way to keep your home safe, and save energy, use solar-powered lights.

Invest in a home security system

Despite the high level of concern, we have mentioned earlier, only 24% of Americans have a home security system installed to protect their property. Installing a home security system is not cheap, but investing in it will keep your property safer than ever before.

You can choose among various security cameras, monitoring services, home security, and more. Security cameras, for example, allow you to check your home with a mobile app wherever you are. 

Use affordable gadgets to keep your valuables safe.

Making your home safe from burglars in an expensive way is possible with various gadgets. One of the best gadgets and affordable products you can use is the smart log. 

This beautiful padlock is smart connected AND biometric capable. This means that—literally— you’re the key. And you can get access to your lock with a quick scan of your fingerprint or a tap of the mobile app! Just download the “Smart Life” App from the App Store or Google Play store (scan the QR code in the user manual).

Then, pair your smart loq to your mobile device using the auto-scan feature, just make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your mobile device. Scan your fingerprint to the device and it’s done! Featured in the Fall 2020 edition BREO BOX, available for pre-order now!

Rely on pets!

Pets are our best friends, but can also be great home guards! Your dog may be lovely and fluffy but, dogs are something that it scares thieves! Even if you don’t own a dog, get a “Beware of Dog” sign to hang in your front window or porch. Fake, but it works!

Don’t post pictures of your valuables on social media

Posting pictures on Instagram is cool but showing your house and valuables on social media is not smart. You never know who is watching. If you decide to share pictures of your valuables with the world, make sure you have really good home security.

Find creative places to hide items

Your home has many places where you can keep your valuable items. Still, only creative places can hide them from experienced burglars and thieves. Since many home safes are not quite unbreakable, you better find creative places to hide your items.

For example, you can hide cash and jewelry inside your favorite book, in a freezer bag, in an old jar, in a sock, in the old blazer, and such. You can find other great ideas online or just go around your place and pick.

Lock windows and close blinds

Before you leave the house, make sure to lock windows and close blinds, because the main door is not always the main entrance for burglars. Burglars usually spy around the house, and through the windows! Windows allow burglars to see whether or not you have a home security system or a dog. Make sure to close your blinds and curtains next time you go out.

Photo by Bogomil Mihaylov on Unsplash

Lock down your Wi-Fi network

Your home wireless network can disclose your personal and financial information to burglars. Besides, if your Wi-Fi network is connected to smart home gadgets or your security system, it could give criminals direct access to your home. So, use some tricks to keep hackers and thieves away. You can secure your wireless router, use a firewall, install antivirus protection, create strong passwords, and such.

Ask neighbors for help

It's not a bad idea to ask your neighbors to take care of your house when you're not there. Neighbors will help you, and you can offer to return the favor.å