Nobody wants to be a crime victim. Here are some easy do-it-yourself weekend projects to make your Portland, OR home safer from intruders.

  1. Install dead bolts on all locks.
  2. Install motion-detector lights in the driveway and/or on the front porch. Pathway lighting is also an effective deterrent. Remember that it’s more risky to break-in to a well-lit house than a dark house.
  3. If you are going to be away from your home for an extended time frame, add timers to some of your interior lights. Timers will turn particular lights on and off at specified times each day and will give anyone who is watching your house the appearance that someone is home.
  4. Trim large shrubs at the bottom to make them less likely hiding spots.
  5. Install a peep hole in your front door so you always know who’s on the other side before opening.
  6. Purchase a locking screen door and keep this door locked if you want to leave your front main door open to get some fresh air in the house during the summer months.
  7. Leave a car in the driveway if you will be away on vacation. It gives the appearance that someone is home.
  8. After purchasing a new home, change all of the locks. You never know to whom the previous owner gave a key and then forgot that person had it.