How Burglars Pick Their Targets and How to Not Be One

TL;DR: Convicted burglars have told researchers they decide whether to target a house in about 30 to 60 seconds, based on visible signs of occupancy, easy entry, and lack of surveillance. The fixes that matter most are cheap: motion-sensor lighting (under $50 a fixture), visible deadbolts, trimmed shrubs near windows, and a mail pile that never accumulates. Homes with a monitored alarm sign in the yard are burglarized about 60% less often than those without, according to University of North Carolina at Charlotte survey data of incarcerated burglars.

_Last reviewed: July 2026 · 7 min read_

You've locked the doors, maybe even set an alarm, and you still wonder if that's enough. It usually isn't the locks that matter first. It's what your house is silently telling a stranger walking or driving by.

Okoniq Property Hub helps owners log exterior lighting checks, lock upgrades, and vacancy routines so nothing falls through the cracks between visits.

What do burglars actually look for before choosing a house?

Burglars look for three things: easy entry, low visibility, and low risk of getting caught. Researchers who interviewed incarcerated burglars, including a widely cited 2012 UNC Charlotte study, found that most offenders scouted a property before ever touching a door. They checked for an alarm sign, a dog, whether neighbors were close enough to notice, and whether a side or back entry was hidden from the street.

Overgrown hedges near windows, tall privacy fences that block sightlines from neighbors, and a detached garage with no lighting all score as "low visibility, low risk" in a burglar's quick mental checklist. Trimming shrubs below window height and keeping fence gaps visible from the sidewalk removes that advantage in an afternoon.

What signals tell a burglar nobody's home?

The biggest tell is an unbroken pattern of the same thing sitting still for days. A stack of newspapers, an unmoved package, blinds that never change position, and a driveway that's empty at the same hour every day for a week all add up. Burglars in the same UNC Charlotte survey ranked "signs of an occupant being away" as more important than the presence of an alarm system.

For owner-operators managing a second property or a rental between tenants, this is the exact gap that turns a well-kept house into a target. A neighbor picking up mail, a timer on a lamp, and a car parked in the driveway on alternating days close that gap without costing anything. If you're checking on a vacant unit, pair that visit with a quick walk-around the way you'd inspect 5 roof problems you can spot from the ground — a house that looks maintained from the curb reads as occupied and watched.

Do alarm signs and cameras actually change a burglar's decision?

Yes, and the sign alone does most of the work. In the same survey, 60% of burglars said they'd avoid a house with a visible alarm system, and many admitted they couldn't tell a real system from a fake sign at a glance from the street. Visible cameras had a similar effect, dropping intent to enter for roughly half of respondents, even when the burglar suspected the camera might not be recording.

The catch is that a camera only deters if it's seen before entry, meaning porch and driveway placement matters more than one aimed at a back window. Pair a camera with a doorbell unit and motion lighting on the same circuit, and confirm your panel can handle the added draw. If your house still runs on older wiring, this is worth checking against 100 vs 200 amp service before adding cameras, floodlights, and a smart lock all at once.

| Deterrent | Cost | Burglar-reported effect | |---|---|---| | Visible alarm sign/system | $0-$30/mo | ~60% would avoid the house | | Motion-sensor lighting | $30-$80/fixture | Removes "low visibility" cover | | Visible camera at entry | $50-$200 | ~50% reduced intent to enter | | Trimmed shrubs at windows | Free-$100 | Removes hiding spot near entry |

How do entry points get exploited, and what's the cheapest fix?

The most common entry point is a door, not a window, because kicking a door in takes seconds and rarely draws attention the way breaking glass does. FBI burglary data consistently shows forced entry through a door happens more than through windows, largely because many exterior doors still use a strike plate held by half-inch screws that split the frame under one solid kick.

A 3-inch screw into the door frame's stud, a reinforced strike plate ($10-$15), and a deadbolt with at least a 1-inch throw close most of that gap for under $40 total. If your exterior outlets or porch fixtures are still the old two-prong style, upgrading them alongside your lighting work is a good time to also fix the underlying wiring safety issue covered in 2-prong vs 3-prong outlets: how to upgrade safely, since a licensed upgrade often happens in the same visit as adding exterior lights.

Does a neglected-looking exterior actually attract break-ins?

Yes, and it's one of the easier things to overlook because owners stop noticing their own house after a while. Peeling paint, missing siding panels, and a driveway that hasn't been cleared after snow all signal deferred maintenance, which burglars read as a house nobody's watching closely. Keeping up with basics like 5 siding maintenance jobs you're skipping every year does double duty: it protects the structure and it keeps the property looking actively managed, which is exactly the impression you want from the street.

FAQ

What time of day do most burglaries happen?

Most residential burglaries occur between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics data, when houses are most likely empty because occupants are at work or school.

Does a dog actually deter burglars?

Yes, a barking dog was cited by roughly 40% of surveyed burglars as a reason to avoid a house, ranking close behind visible alarm systems, even for dogs that aren't large.

Is it worth getting a monitored alarm versus a self-monitored one?

A monitored system typically costs $20-$60 a month and adds a call to police or a keyholder if triggered, while self-monitored systems rely on you seeing a phone alert; either works as a deterrent since the visible sign matters most, but monitored response time matters if you're not local.

How long does a typical burglary take?

Most burglars aim to be in and out within 8 to 12 minutes, targeting cash, jewelry, and small electronics near entry points rather than searching the whole house, which is why bedside and closet safes near a bedroom door are often the first hit.

Should renters or landlords worry about this differently than owners?

Landlords should treat vacant-between-tenants periods as the highest-risk window, since an empty unit shows none of the daily occupancy signals a burglar looks for; a neighbor check-in or timed lighting during turnover closes most of that risk.

This is educational information, not security or legal advice. Consult a licensed locksmith or security professional for a property-specific assessment, and check with local law enforcement about neighborhood-specific risks.