3. Leave a Talk Radio Station Playing

Burglars listen before they act. A silent house is an inviting house. While leaving a television on can create flickering light, the distinct sound of human conversation is far more intimidating to an intruder.

Before you leave the house to run errands or attend a social event, turn on a radio and tune it to a local talk radio station or a news channel. Set the volume to a natural conversational level. From the outside of a locked front door or window, the cadence of talk radio sounds exactly like a discussion happening inside the living room. Music stations do not offer the same deterrent effect; criminals easily recognize the rhythm of a song, but the unpredictable back-and-forth of a talk show creates immediate doubt about whether the house is truly empty.