Having your house broken into and robbed can be one of the most unpleasant and traumatizing experiences you and your family can go through. Much more significant than the loss of valuable property is emotional violation on a deeper level–losing your feelings of safety, well-being, and security in your own home can be a very painful adjustment. As a homeowner, you owe it to yourself to take the initiative to protect not just your security, but you and your family’s peace of mind.

While it’s always possible that thieves will target your house regardless of the security measures you have in place, there are several things you can do to drastically reduce the likelihood of your home being targeted. The most essential and effective deterrent is also the most obvious–that is, you’ll want to invest in a good alarm system. When shopping, be sure to go with a reputable company. You get what you pay for. The worse the manufacturing, the more likely a thief will be able to disarm it.

Second, be conspicuous, especially when you’re going to be away from your home for extended periods of time. Common sense dictates–and convicted robbers themselves have confirmed this–that your house is less likely to be a target if you have a few good alarm and beware of dog signs posted. You don’t have to turn your home into a fortress, you just want to let robbers know that your house carries a higher risk of being caught.

Third, be sure to lock up. A startling number of robberies occur because people forget common practices such as locking garage doors, patio doors, and windows. Try to have secure latches on your windows, and have a “lock-up checklist” visually posted on the back of or close to your house’s exit. Thieves are far less likely to be master cat burglars than thugs who are just trying their luck on neighborhood back doors.

If you follow these steps and take the extra precaution of double-checking, you can greatly strengthen your home, valuables, and secure well-being against intruders.