We’ve all heard how burglars scout areas and homes that they feel might be easy to target for theft. Professional burglars will take the time to monitor areas and find homes that might be easy to break into. They might sit and observe for days or weeks, planning and preparing for an attack, while homeowners are completely oblivious to what might happen. Fortunately, there are steps you all can take to safeguard your home from becoming a potential target for a burglar. Here are the best ways to prevent a burglar from picking your home to be the one to attack.

1. Clear Out Rubble

Rubble gives burglars places to hide, whether it’s in the daylight or night time. You want your yard to be clear from any pile up that can serve as hiding spots. A clean yard will give more visibility, and as we all know, most burglars only work in the shadows. A clean yard will also just be less likely to be a target.

2. Hide Big Purchases

Make sure that the big and expensive items in your home are clear from sight lines. You don’t want a scouting burglar to be able to see that there’s a brand new 60-inch TV sitting by the window just waiting to be put up on the wall. Any others such as jewelry and the like should be put away. In addition, if you have any boxes depicting expensive purchases, make sure you put them in the dumpster right away instead of letting it sit outside your house to wait for garbage pick up day. This is giving burglars a clear signal that you’ve got something nice for them to take inside.

3. Close Windows

Don’t give burglars an opportunity to peer into your home. Close your windows. Close your blinds. Don’t let outsiders see into your house. You’ll never what things you might have in your home that the burglars are actually looking for.

4. Lock All Doors

Never forget to lock your front door. You’re only giving burglars an easy access in if you do. At the same time, lock whatever doors you can lock, especially if you won’t be home for a while. Lock the garage door, so in case the burglars get in through the garage, they won’t have access to the inside of your home. Likewise, lock bedroom doors if necessary. At least if the burglars make it inside your house, the locked doors might deter them from even trying to get in.

5. Turn On the Lights

Many burglars go for the attack when no one is home. If you know that you’ll be gone for the night, leave a couple of lights on to let the burglars think that someone is home. Even just a couple of lights will do. What works best in this scenario is if you have a timer that can control the lights to come on and off automatically. You can set this timer ahead of time. This way you’re keeping your home safer and cutting the electric bill at the same time.