Knock, Knock, Anyone Home?

I had my home broken into when I lived on the highway outside of Tunkhannock.  My house was perfect for the pickings.  I had trees and shrubs that blocked the view of doors and windows.  I had teenage children that did not always lock doors.  I did not have curtains on all of my windows.  The outside lighting was minimal.  The doors and windows had very flimsy locks.  No wonder my home was broken into!

 

On a good note I had very little to take.  The burglars ransacked the house looking for good stuff.  I was a single mother with 2 teenage daughters.  I bought clothes.  The only television was not new and it was before ipods, ipads and kindles.  Nothing was taken, just messy.

 

They got in through an old single-pane side glass and opened the lock on the door, which was hidden from the road by a big apple tree.  Then the intruders walked right in the house.  If they watched my house at any time, they would know my daughters went to school and I went to work.  We all returned home between 6:00pm and 8:00pm.  We were the proverbial perfect mark. 

 

I learned what not to do by that experience.  After we scrubbed every inch of the house, we changed our ways.  I trimmed all the bushes around the windows, I bought curtains, we locked our doors and first floor windows when we left and at night. We stopped leaving the garage doors open; no reason for anyone to go “shopping: in my garage.  I bought several motion-activated spotlights and installed them all around the house and garage; my house looked like a small airport. 

 

I practice more safety tips now that I live in the boonies and everyone can tell I am at work during the day.  When I am home, I am outside or the dog is outside.  Therefore, if my house is quiet during the day it means no one is home.  I practice techniques that I learned, curtains on windows, locked doors and windows, I keep the barns and shed doors closed if I am working outside, all out-buildings have locks and my house is still  lit like a small airport.  I have a small safety deposit box at the bank for important or expensive items; the box annual fee is $40.00.  I do not have an alarm, I have deadbolt locks and I do have a dog.  Dogs tend to scare thieves away, sometimes. 

 

I believe, if someone really wanted to break in my house, s/he will find a way to do it.  I take precautions it is the best I can do along with insurance for my belongings.  Like many people, I keep an inventory list of my things and update it when I finish with taxes.  There are companies that do inventories and video for you like Asset Docs (http://www.theassetdocs.com/).  If I do get broken into again at least I know the thieves had to work for their “take.”