What your landscape says about the safety of your home

When homeowners think about the safety of their home, they tend to think of heavier locks, doorbell cameras or home security systems.

They’re less inclined to think about what bushes to plant or where to plant a new line of shrubbery along the fence, but decisions such as those can be equally important to ensuring a home is made safer from burglary attempts.

Landscaping can be much more than just pretty lawn design.

A cautious homeowner can design their property so as to minimize hiding places and make visibility a key factor, all while still earning a blue ribbon for best lawn on the block.

Landscaping with safety in mind tends to involve a few key concepts: visibility, reducing places to hide and lighting.

For instance, many homeowners like to plant bushes along their fences, but while they might be happy to keep the bushes alongside the side of the house, facing the neighbors’ house, they might not feel it necessary to put too much along the rear of the house.

Depending on the layout, however, this can create gaps that make it easy for a would-be burglar to hide within the bushes and keep out of sight when seeking to enter a home.

There are ways to guard against such issues, though.

• Outdoor lighting is a key way to keep would-be burglars at bay. Motion sensing lighting at key angles around the house can warn away home invaders without unduly bothering the neighbors.
• Solar lamps along the front pathway can not only make it easier for visitors to find their way to your door, but simultaneously make your entryway unwelcoming for burglars trying to find a dark, unseen point of entry.
• Planting bushes, shrubbery and trees with an eye to maintaining a line of sight along your yard and not creating dark nooks for home invaders to occupy while looking for a way in.
• When you do plant bushes, consider planting thorny shrubs or vines that will make any potential sneak think twice about drawing near to your greenery. A few jabs from a spiky plant will make anyone reconsider using your landscaping as a hiding spot.
• Gravel is a cheap and simple way to dissuade burglars from trying to find a way in through windows, porches or patios. Lining the sides of the house with gravel will often prevent burglars from walking in those areas as they seek to avoid making any noise that might arise from crunching rocks underfoot.
• Keep the lawn maintained. A freshly cut lawn is much less likely to attract attention from a greedy burglar than an overgrown tangle in the front yard.
• Make sure any trees are trimmed back from the house. Don’t let a burglar climb into a window through a convenient branch growing by the back yard (this will also prevent youthful lotharios from trying to sneak into your daughter’s bedroom down the line).

Landscaping alone can’t prevent all home invasions, of course. 

Yet smart and safe choices, combined with the DIY safety kits obtained through BlueAccess, can certainly make a difference.

The next time you’re looking to do a little yard work, remember that safe choices then can prevent home invasions later.