Today so many people have decided the only way they can live safely in their homes is to push buttons before entering their own door so that they can disarm their security system. Then, once they’ve entered, they re-enter the code so that the system knows to start again.
Other people don’t bother with an official security system. They’ve got the idea that if they obtain the sign stating they have a security system the criminals won’t mess with them. Sometimes this method seems to work. Other times it doesn’t.
Then there are those folks who think all they need is a gun. I won’t go into all the reasons this is faulty reasoning. Suffice it to say that living with a gun under your pillow is like playing Russian roulette.
A dog can be helpful in keeping criminals at bay. However, as much as I love dogs, they seldom improve your property.
I have always been of the opinion that the best approach is to keep criminals from entering your home in the first place. This can be done and done in a manner that improves your property. The first step toward doing that is to make certain all of your doors are strong. You’d be surprised how many doors can be opened with one hard kick. Think Samuel L. Jackson. One kick — boom! He’s in your house! Installing thick, strong doors on heavy hinges is a great step toward keeping the hard core criminals from entering your home.
The same goes for your windows. Make certain all of your windows lock. While a criminal who really wants in will break a window, most criminals are burglars who don’t want to be heard, so they will move on if they have to go to the trouble of breaking glass.
Any police officer will tell you that one of the best home improvements you can make to keep your home free from being broken into is to provide good lighting. The more lighting the better. Obviously you don’t want to do a the equivalent of a Christmas light show all year long, but what you can do is lighting with motion sensors so that the lights only come on when someone walks within a certain radius of the house. Lights will scare away most burglars.
As a gardener, I think one of the best ways you can improve your property and keep your home safe is through plants. Many plants provide protection from criminals. Citrus trees planted close to a fence will discourage anyone from climbing the fence to enter your property because most of these trees have long thorns. The Satsuma is an excellent example of a tree that can practically impale a person as our painter recently discovered when he tried to paint one particular corner of our home. No one is coming into our house from that window, let me tell you!
Yucca plants planted beneath windows are another good plant for defending your property. Just don’t plant a yucca where guests might back into it because this plant really has a painful bite! In other words, only use it in the more isolated areas where you need defense.
Some roses can also greatly improve your property and also discourage burglars. A thorny rose grown on a fence will naturally discourage a burglar from attempting to cross the fence. Furthermore, if you have an isolated corner of your yard – and it is in the isolated corners that burglars seem to most like to enter – having a little rose briar patch can be a very useful defense against intruders. Remember how the fox couldn’t enter the briar patch to get the little rabbit? A strategically placed rose bush will help you out fox the criminals and will add beauty to your property.
Thorny or spiky plants, strong doors and windows, good locks, and good lighting are your first line of defense against intruders. They will improve your property and will help you stay safe without a monthly cost.
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