We want our homes to be safe, and most of us take some precautions to ensure that our possessions are protected. We lock our doors (or at least close them!), close our garage doors, and put bikes and other yard toys in the backyard. But is this enough to truly keep your home safe? If someone gained entry to your home today what could they gain? We will explore the most common items that are stolen during a home robbery, and give tips for how to keep your valuables safe.

Remember, you can always count on Fifteen Alarms to keep your belongings safe — we proudly provide home security solutions throughout Memphis, Bartlett, Cordova, Lakeland, Southwind, Germantown, Whitehaven, and Arlington.

Cold, Hard Cash

If you have money lying around, it will be one of the first things a thief will grab. Money is easy to immediately use, hard to trace, and small and lightweight. Do you keep cash on your bedside table from your pockets? How about a change jar that you were just about ready to take to the bank? If there is cash out in the open when a burglar enters your home you can be sure it will be the first thing they grab. Don’t keep large amounts of cash in your home unless they are in a locked safe. Regularly leaving money out is an invitation for trouble; think of how many “invited” guests could be in your home at any given time. Contractors, repairmen, salespeople, and others that you invite into your home could be tempted to take unsecured money.

Computers

Many people have lightweight laptops as their main computers these days, and they are so easy to grab and transport. Imagine how much could be lost if your 

home computer was stolen! Files, documents, pictures, videos, and more are all stored on our home computers, and many of these things are irreplaceable. Computers can be easily wiped of all information and sold—think of how much it would cost to replace your computer, and how long it could take to recover the information.

Jewelry

Jewelry is easy to grab, can be very expensive, and hard to trace. Burglars will grab anything that looks expensive, and that might be your $10,000 wedding ring, or an heirloom piece that you can’t put any price on. Jewelry that you don’t wear but are keeping in the family should be stored in a safe or a safety deposit box.

Guns

Guns can bring in money, or be used by burglars. Do you want your gun ending up on the street or used by the very people that robbed your house? Guns have a huge resale value and can be quickly sold for cash.

Tools

Tools can also bring in the big bucks, and some people have thousands of dollars just sitting in their garages. A break-in can result in these tools being stolen, but even an open garage door can be easy access for a thief to quickly grab expensive tools. Keeping your home secured even while you are home is important, as a thief won’t discriminate if an opportunity presents itself.

Phones

Even old mobile phones can bring in money, so if you have one that you were planning to trade in, it can be a quick grab for a thief. Your current phone will be even more of a loss, as you probably have information stored that could be hard to recover. Think of arriving home after forgetting your phone to find your home burglarized and no way to call the police. Phones are small, lightweight, and sell quickly.

Gaming Systems

Your potential burglar doesn’t need to be into gaming to grab your system. Gaming systems sell for good money at pawn shops and to individuals, and are hard to track. Even a collection of games can be worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars and be very hard to replace. Imagine your kids coming home to find their gaming systems gone and not being able to replace all of the equipment.

Credit Cards

Do you have credit cards you don’t use daily stored in a secondary purse or wallet that you leave at home? A purse or wallet will be quickly snatched by a thief, and they can quickly do a lot of damage buying things with your cards. Especially if you have a large amount of credit cards, figuring out wrong charges and canceling can be a nightmare. Many people also have gift cards, punch cards and rewards in their wallets that are irreplaceable.

Identity

Identity theft is becoming increasingly common, and can be devastating. Your billing statements, mail, credit cards, and possibly even passwords you have stored on your stolen computer, can all help a thief who wants to use your identity. Imagine the nightmare if your passports or social security cards are stolen, and someone begins using your identity. The theft of your identity can be more financially impactful than if your possessions are stolen.

Heirlooms

There may be items in your home that a thief quickly grabs without thinking twice about that have huge sentimental or family value to you. These items might not be worth much, and once the pawn shop rejects them, they may be thrown in the trash. Heirlooms are irreplaceable, and a burglary could mean that items you were saving for your children could be lost.

Bikes

A thief might not even need to gain access to your whole house to steal an expensive bike, skateboard, or scooter. Bikes are often stored outside, unsecured, and all a burglar would need to do is gain access to your yard. Bikes can be easily sold, and if you don’t have any of the identifying numbers on your bike it may be untraceable.

Your Peace

A home invasion threatens your feeling of safety and security, and can make you feel uncomfortable in your own home. If someone has been through your home, your belongings, and every drawer in your bedroom it can feel very violating. You want to prevent a home invasion before it ever occurs, and this is where Fifteen Alarms comes in.

Fifteen Alarms offers security systems that can prevent all of these items from being taken from your home. Protect your home, and don’t allow easy entry through your doors, windows, or garage. Our security systems can alert you if you have forgotten to lock up, left a door open, or if anyone tries to gain entry. If you are looking for the best home security systems in the Memphis area, call Fifteen Alarms today! Again, we provide home security solutions throughout the Memphis metro area, as well as Bartlett, Cordova, Lakeland, Southwind, Germantown, Whitehaven, and Arlington.