Are you aware that over 125,000 robberies took place in the United States last year?

You never know when your home will be a target for intruders. It's important to maintain home security to deter burglars from ever thinking about setting foot on your private property in the first place.

You need to know the top 10 tips to deter burglars from your home right now as home surveillance technology continues to improve and new updates are making it harder for people to break in.

Read on to learn the top 10 ways you can keep your family safe and out of harm's way.

1. Make Your Home Look Occupied to Deter Burglars

When you go out of town, even for just a few days, does it look like someone is at your home? It's our first tip to encourage you to make your home appear as if someone is at home even while you leave town for the night.

You have to think like a burglar. If the outside lights are on, will a burglar still consider breaking into your home if he or she believes someone will be waiting for them if they walk inside? Probably not.

Eliminate your home as an option from the beginning by ensuring that you are pretending to be at home sitting on your couch.

Flip on some lights inside, too. Don't park your cars inside the garage. Keep at least one car parked in your driveway to further demonstrate that someone will be inside.

Yes, you may be worried about paying extra electric costs but what price do you put on someone possibly entering your home and taking your family heirlooms out of your bedroom dresser?

Weigh the options as a family unit. Hopefully, you can afford to keep on at least one light.

Choosing how to create an occupied appearance for your home can be a breeze to deter burglars at once.

2. Promptly Retrieve The Mail

Another tip is to retrieve your mail as soon as you get home. If you don't gather unopened letters and boxes in good timing, this could set off burglars to thinking you are on vacation.

If you do go on vacation, have the post office hold your mail until you arrive back in town for good measure.

Don't leave your mail or packages unattended because you are setting yourself up to be burglarized if you give off the idea that you are away from your home for longer than one day.

3. Use "Beware of Dog" Signs

A useful tactic a lot of homeowners choose to partake in is the act of posting signs around the home. Even if you don't have a dog, you can buy a sign that reads "Beware of Dog" to place in obvious areas that a burglar may try into breaks into, such as a backyard backdoor or side window.

These signs usually work to distract the burglars as they do not want to enter a home thinking a large dog will attack them as soon as they get inside.

4. Cut Back Your Shrubs

Maintain a healthy landscape in your front and back yards for both the beautification of your property and for important protective reasons.

If you have large shrubs covering up the front entrance to your home, how will the neighbors see an unwanted visitor approaching your door? Give them a chance to quickly call the cops by cutting back your growing shrubs every so often.

Your home needs to look its best and also appear less vulnerable to deter burglars. Taking care of your lawn and other plants living in your yard needs to be a priority to ensure a safe home every day of the year.

5. Hide Valuables

We all know what happened to Kim Kardashian when she flashed her super expensive diamonds online. French robbers snuck into her hotel room and threatened her life at gunpoint. Talk about a terrifying experience.

Don't use her method to exploit your pricey jewelry on the Internet as that lures in the bad guys.

Hide all of your valuable items in a safe inside your home. Better yet, move all of these items to the safety deposit box at your local bank because chances are you don't need them on a daily basis.

6. Don't Mention Vacations Online

So that big trip you have planned to Hawaii next month?

You are probably so thrilled to be taking a trip away from the office, but consider how great it sounds to hear that you will be out of town in the eyes of a robber.

Posting about your vacation plans on the Internet is a serious issue for a lot of people. More and more families are being robbed because they are sharing their exact vacation dates with thousands of their friends online.

Be sure to leave out the dates you are traveling to Hawaii and even wait until after your fun trip to post about it to ensure that you are less vulnerable to a break-in.

Of course, you can feel confident about leaving your home unattended if you install a high-tech security camera outside your front door to monitor all activity.

7. Create a Neighborhood Watch

Within your community, you should plan a day to talk to your neighbors to get to know them.

Once you form a bond with a few close families you can keep a look out for each other's properties to be more vigilant.

You need to form close relationships with some of your neighbors to maintain better security for your home because cooperation is key to less crime in the neighborhood altogether.

Think about the safety of your children as you all want to take into consideration their best interests as they should live in a safe community.

8. Check Your Home For Loose Locks

Another tip to deter burglars is to give your house a once over from time to time.

Walk around your property and test out the windows and doors to see if anything comes loose. Something as simple as a loose window can allow burglars to step inside.

Fix any major problems you may find while out on your stroll to make sure the best security measures are in place.

9. Invest in Motion Sensor Lights

If you don't want to keep your lights on inside your home, buying some motion sensor lights for the outdoors is another great idea.

That way whoever tries to walk across your property late at night will be alarmed by the bright lights.

Hopefully, if this happens, you will notice the burglar approaching your home or a helpful neighbor who is a member of your neighborhood watch can immediately dial the police.

10. Get a Dog

One of the last tips for home security is to get a dog.

Buying or adopting a dog is definitely an old-school tactic, but something to consider if you live alone.

Having a large dog such as a bull mastiff or a German shepherd can impact your chances of encountering a burglar at all.

Looking For a Better Home Security System?

Having a dog to bark away intruders isn't enough anymore.

Think about installing a state of the art security system that protects your family even when you are not at home.

Contact us today at Alarm Liquidators for more helpful tips on installing the right unit for your family and be sure to check out our blog for even more advice.