Great Landscaping can make your home beautiful and more valuable. What a lot of people do not realize is that it can also be used effectively to improve the security of your home.
Everyone wants a secure home with little likelihoods of burglaries. It is possible to do this and at the same time maintain a beautiful landscape depending on the choice of landscaping you want for your home.
In designing the landscape for your house, the security of your house can be put into consideration so as to improve the security and deter criminals from breaking in.
To make your home as safe as possible, you can consider the following landscaping tips to improve the security of your home and reduce the risk of having burglars invading your home.
Proper Yard Maintenance
Having trees and shrubs that are not properly maintained can give burglars easy access to your home as they can be used as entry points to climb on to your balconies or your windows. Keep your trees and shrubs trim and make sure that they are not planted near any of the windows in your home.
If you have natural grass in your yard, make sure you mow it regularly. A yard with overgrown grass gives the impression that the people living in the home are away on vacation and this serves as a perfect opportunity for intruders to break into your home.
Hire a landscaping service to help you keep your lawn mown if you are going to be away for some time or if you are always too busy. Some people consider installing synthetic turf since it does not require mowing and has the same look like natural grass so that when you are away, your yard will still look well taken care of.
After taking care of your yard, make sure you put away the tools you used when you are done and store them properly. When tools or lie around in your yard, they can be used to break windows or and gain access into your home. Also, make sure you keep your ladders out of reach after using them as they can be used to climb over your fence into your property.
Plant Shrubs That Have Thorns
Plant attractive spiky plants like holly or rose. This can beautify the home and at the same time act as defensive barriers which help you keep burglars away.
The plants can be used for hedging or climbing onto a fence or wall so as to make it difficult or impossible for burglars to get through the fence into your home. They can also be planted near windows that are easy to get into so as to discourage criminals that might want to break in through your windows.
Make Sure You Do Not Create Hiding Spots
If your yard has plenty of cover, try to get rid of it as it attracts burglars who can always find a perfect hiding place in order to break into your house. Homes that are protected by high fences, tall trees, and bushes are likely targets for break-ins.
Once a criminal can get into the yard, they provide cover for them so that they are free to roam through your yard and get into your home undetected. Ensure that you trim the trees that are overgrown and your shrubs.
Make sure that your entryways are not cluttered and visible at all times as these will make them less likely of a target for burglars.
You can use fencing in your backyard for privacy and keep your pets in however for your front yard, make sure that the fence is not so high such that it blocks the view of your property from the street.
Use Gravel In Your Yard
Make use of gravel as landscaping material to increase security in your home. To deter burglars, pour gravel by the windows, side doors, back doors and on your walkways.
Anyone that comes into your property without your knowledge when you are in the house stands the chance of getting detected because of the loud crunching sound their footstep will make if they try to walk silently on the gravel. Even when you are away, the presence of the gravel alone is enough to deter burglars from trying to get into your home.
Mount Motion Sensitive Lights In Your Yard
Having motion-sensitive lighting in your yard is a great way to keep burglars away from your home because they know that their presence will be spotted easily.
Mount motion-sensitive lights in the darker places on your property so as to eliminate hiding places for burglars that want to come in and loot your home.
Make sure that the lights are also mounted at other strategic locations such as the front of the house so as to brighten the place and discourage potential criminals and also at the back of your house to illuminate the back porch as well.
With these landscaping tips, you can rest assured knowing that burglars will have a difficult time getting into your home.