Burglary, Vandalism & Security
A vacant home is an easy target. Here's what signals vacancy to burglars and how professional home watch visits make your Treasure Valley property a much less attractive target.
Vacant homes are significantly more likely to be burglarized than occupied homes, and seasonal homes face elevated burglary rates. Forced entry is common in seasonal home burglaries.
Mail and package accumulation is one of the clearest signals to burglars that a home is vacant. An overflowing mailbox, packages on the porch, and flyers accumulating on the door are all indicators that nobody is home.
Signs that attract burglars to a vacant home
- Mail and packages piling up
- Newspapers and flyers on the porch
- Trash bins left at the curb
- No lights on at night
- Overgrown lawn and landscaping
- No footprints in snow during winter
- Vehicles always gone
What Greg does to deter crime
- Collects mail, packages, flyers, and newspapers on every visit
- Moves trash bins to curb and back on service days
- Varies visit times so the property doesn't have a predictable pattern
- Checks all doors, windows, and entry points for tampering
- Verifies security system is armed and functioning
- Reports any signs of attempted entry immediately
- Can adjust lights and blinds to maintain a "lived-in" appearance
A property that looks lived-in and checked-on is a property burglars skip.
Ready to protect your home?
A quick conversation with Greg is all it takes to get started. No contracts, no pressure, just honest service from a licensed Idaho real estate broker who knows your home.