Landscaping Ideas for a Secure Home

When it comes to making your home look aesthetically appealing, you probably would like to plant bushes, trees and shrubs around your home. Not only this, but you would most likely enjoy a bit of privacy, so the landscaping options you choose are probably designed for this purpose. However, the things you plant can also have an impact on your security. For this reason, it is critical for you to look around your yard and identify areas that could provide criminals with an opportunity to burglarize your home in relative privacy. Certainly, if you have a home security system installed in your house, you are ahead of the game, but even then, you will want to take steps to make your house look unappealing to burglars and your landscaping can be your first line of defense.

First, always trim the tree branches that are close to your home. They should be at least seven feet from upper windows and decks, since any closer than that and a burglar can simply climb the tree and enter into your home through an upper window or door. By keeping your branches trimmed, you are eliminating this opportunity.

Next, you should always mow your lawn. This is because a lawn that is long and weedy will give burglars the impression that you are not home. Many burglars would rather hit a house that is unoccupied and thus look for clues that tell them that you are away. An unkempt lawn is one of those clues. If you are going to be out of town for a significant length of time, ask a neighbor or a family member to mow it for you at least once per week.

Never keep ladders outside of your house. This is a golden opportunity for burglars to simply move the ladder to a place where they can climb up to your upper windows and get in. Ladders should always be kept locked up in a garage or shed so that burglars can’t have instant access to them.

Almost all home security system experts agree that you should allow your shrubs and bushes to grow no higher than three feet. This will negate the opportunity for burglars to hide while they break into your house. This is especially important near basement windows in the backyard, which are already somewhat obscured from neighbors’ views.

Every homeowner wants his house to look nice. Landscaping is a part of that plan. However, there are ways to ensure that your landscaping does not interfere with your home security. Follow the advice here and your home will already be an unappealing target for criminals.