Home security experts agree on one thing – intruders look for homes that appear easiest to break into and escape from quickly. The more obstacles you place in their way, the more likely they are to skip over your home and move on to someone else’s. Try these three tips to make your new home safer.

Lights! – Nothing says nobody’s home like a dark house. This is where landscape lighting is a useful deterrent. Don’t give intruders any places in your yard to hide, so be sure to install lights on trees. Make your lights come on at dusk and light up entries front and back. Motion detectors work well, too. If you’re away from the house, attach timed devices to one or two lamps that periodically turn on and off.

Cameras! – Cameras placed around the perimeter of your home should be visible from the street so that anyone cruising by can see them. You may have noticed on the Internet that cameras are also useful in crime-solving as well as prevention, so security cameras protect your neighbors, too.

Actions! – A security system is expensive, but it’s a good idea, especially when you put the provider’s sign prominently in your front yard. A vigilant barking dog, regardless of its size can hear and smell intruders before they enter your home. Install prickly bushes under windows and keep them trimmed.

Remember, locks on doors and windows may not be enough. Multiple and highly visible obstacles are much more effective to deter intruders.