Make Your Houston Home Unattractive to Burglars

Before you go on a vacation, you may want to take some precautions to prevent potential burglars from knowing your Houston house is unoccupied. You also may want to make sure your home insurance is up to date with financial protection in the case of fire, vandalism, theft or natural disaster.

In order to reduce your risk of suffering a loss and, hence, having to file an insurance claim, here are some things you can do to either disguise the fact that your home is unoccupied while you are on vacation, or make your home appear more difficult for a burglar to invade:

•    Ask a neighbor to check your house each day and collect your mail and newspapers.

•    Try putting your lamps and television on a timer so that they are switched on in the evening to give the impression that you are home.

•    It may be wise to surround your home with short thorny bushes that may deter burglars from trying to access your windows; however, be careful not to let the bushes grow tall enough that they could provide cover for invading burglars.

•    Motion-senor lights and a burglar alarm system may also discourage potential invaders.

It is important that you contact your agent and update your home insurance policies whenever you make any major purchases. You may want to keep an inventory of your possessions, along with receipts, in case of a fire, burglary or natural disaster. A home inventory may help streamline the process should you suffer a loss and have to file an insurance claim.  

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