12. Vary Your Lighting Routine Naturally

Leaving a single living room light on 24 hours a day does not fool an experienced burglar. In fact, a light that burns steadily through the middle of the night and continues glaring in the bright afternoon sun is a dead giveaway that the home is unoccupied.

Instead of relying on a static light, embrace natural variation. If you do not want to purchase automated smart plugs, rely on manual adjustments. When you are home, turn lights on and off as you move from room to room. If you are leaving for the evening, leave a light on in the kitchen and perhaps a small lamp in a bedroom—areas where people naturally congregate. By keeping your lighting patterns dynamic, you make it incredibly difficult for an outside observer to pinpoint your routine.