How to improve home security with landscaping

Home security is much more than simply getting a home security system. Landscaping can play a large role in how secure your home is, sometimes even more than what even the best buy home security systems can do. But to make the most out of landscaping, you need to understand why exactly it is so important for home security purposes. To improve home security with landscaping, you will need to consider access control, line of sight, lawn maintenance, natural surveillance, and clear boundaries. And you may also want to adopt a few “tricks” along the way. This article, brought to you by Consumer Opinion Guide, will serve as your guide to improving home security through landscaping!

Improve home security with landscaping and these 5 fundamentals

The five fundamentals of landscaping (pertaining to home security) are:

• A clear line of sight
• Natural surveillance
• Lawn maintenance
• Access control
• Clear boundaries

Of course, landscaping alone will not provide you with the best possible home security. You will also want to introduce a few security cameras into the mix, at the very least. If you are wondering which camera type is the best for your property, you can refer to our analog vs digital security cameras guide. And, of course, you will want to have at least a basic home security system. Landscaping is there to improve the security of your home but it still relies on the fact that your home has other means of protection as well. That being said, let’s see what are the things to consider before you start doing any work.

A clear line of sight

One of the most important things you want to have in your yard is the absolute lack of hiding spots. You want to keep your vision clear and have a clear line of sight to just about anywhere on your property. If you want to improve the privacy of your home, you can do that through other means. You don’t need to “hide” behind tall trees. Burglars can (and will) use any means of cover available to them. It is your job to deprive them of any such opportunities.

Natural surveillance

Aside from not having any large obstacles for intruders to hide behind, you will also want to make sure that your property has enough lighting. As a minimum, you should have lights present on your front door, sidewalks, and in at least a few places about the lawn.

Maintaining your lawn

Over time, plants grow and can obstruct visibility. What you want to do is make sure that they are neatly trimmed at all times. Furthermore, your entire property will be safer if it is well kept. The reason for this is that potential burglars are excellent at risk assessment. If they see that a home is well maintained they will presume that the owner is always up and about. Not to mention that a clean, neat, lawn presents fewer hiding spots and is much more difficult to infiltrate.

Access control

If you happen to have a large yard, you will want to make sure that other people have it easy to find your main entrance. While you don’t have much to worry about from your guests, their confused presence on the lawn might become “normal” for someone who is looking from the outside. This is something that burglars can, and will, exploit. You want to discourage everyone from simply wandering the property. Thus, your access point needs to be clearly marked.

Clear boundaries

Your property needs to be clearly marked as yours. This means that the transition between the street and your property needs to be well-defined. A simple street number that is about seven inches tall is a good start. If you want to improve your home security, you can’t afford anyone being able to say “I did not know this was your property”. Define your property lines in a clear and visible manner and you will have no problems.

Ways to improve home security with landscaping

Now that you know what the fundamentals of improving home security with landscaping are, it is time to explore some ways to actually do so. To start with, you will want to:

Utilize open fencing

Open fencing combines the fundamentals of a clear line of sight and clear boundaries, all in one. It will visibly mark your property lines while providing no cover for potential intruders. Good examples of open fencing include chain-link or iron fences, but even simple wooden fences will do if you want to burglar proof your home on a budget. You may also want to introduce them to the lawn proper, as well, if you need to create some distinct spaces. But always remember that the primary purpose of the fence is that you are able to see through it.

Trim the greenery

If you have any greenery inside your lawn, especially close to the doors or windows, you will want to keep it trimmed at all times. Trim any shrubbery or bushes to around two to three feet height or they will obstruct your vision and provide hiding spots. According to some of the home burglary statistics to consider, tall shrubs are one of the favorite burglar hiding spots. As for the trees, you don’t need to chop them down to three feet but you do need to ensure that they don’t block the view. Trees present a great way to hide, which is why you may want to trim them down as much as you can. At the very least, trim the lower limbs so no one can climb on the tree itself.

If you absolutely have to have large trees in your yard, consider installing a convex mirror in select spots around the property. These mirrors can eliminate all the blind spots, providing you with full vision at all times.

Extra lighting

A large yard is quite easy to sneak around in if there is not enough lighting. Therefore, the best way to improve home security with landscaping is to install additional outdoor lighting. You can choose to go with motion-sensitive lights or lights that stay on through the entire night. It all depends on your budget. However, even if you are on a budget, make sure that there is enough lighting near the access points.

Put some rocks or prickly plants next to the windows

Speaking of access points, here’s a nice way to “reinforce” your windows, without actually reinforcing them. If you place some rocks in front of the windows, they will present the intruder with an uneven, slippery, and above all – noisy, surface. The presence of the rocks can deter many an intruder on their own. But if you want to go one step further, why not place some prickly plants in front of the windows as well? The plants will provide an extra layer of security and will serve as an excellent deterrent. Just make sure that you don’t obstruct your view with the plants.

You can use a few plant varieties for this purpose. The most famous one, of course, is the cactus, but you can use many others such as knockout roses. What you are looking for is a plant that requires minimal maintenance and that does not grow to overly large sizes. And, of course, it needs to look good.

Maintain your property

Since maintaining your lawn is one of the five fundamentals, it stands to reason that this should be your priority. You will want to regularly mow the grass, make sure that there is no debris on your property, and maintain your fences and gates. If you see any piled-up branches or leaves, make sure to clean them up as well. Basically, you want your lawn to look like someone is constantly working on it. Maintaining your lawn will let everyone know that the entire property is actively being used. Even if you are not there most of the time. A run-down lawn practically invites someone to peek inside, as they will most likely not encounter anything dangerous. But a clean lawn says “We are here and we are watching”.

To improve home security with landscaping, you are going to need to put in some work. The more work you put in, the safer your home will be. Of course, landscaping is but a piece of the puzzle that is home security. For the best results, you will still want to combine a neat lawn with a home security system. In addition, you will also want to put warning signs all around your property.

To find which home security system is the best for your property, as well as to find all the news on home security trends, all you need to do is browse the Consumer Opinion Guide! We are constantly adding new articles, bringing you the very best “bang for your buck”!