Chelsea Insurance Blog

Is your yard a weak spot in your home security? You may have installed strong locks on doors and windows to deter thieves, and purchased CT homeowners insurance to provide financial protection from burglary, but your yard may be making it easy for criminals to go about their work. 

• Overgrown vegetation can create a hiding place for a criminal. Keep bushes and trees trimmed.
• Ladders left out in the yard make it easy for burglars to climb to reach high windows, while other tools left out could be the perfect implement for smashing a window to gain entry.
• An unlit yard can conceal a thief. Install security lighting that is triggered by a motion sensor.
• Poorly designed outdoor lighting can create shadows where a thief can hide. Position yard lights so that they are aimed downwards.
• Tall walls and fences can help an intruder to break in unobserved. When planning fencing, balance your desire for privacy against the need to have your yard visible from the street.
• A lawn littered with uncollected newspapers and a bulging mailbox announces to the world that you’re out of town. Arrange for a trusted neighbor to bring in mail and newspapers and keep an eye on your home while you’re away.

Observe your house from the other side of the street, and look around your yard in both daylight and darkness. Address any gaps in your yard’s security. Are you planning to install preventive devices like security lighting or an alarm system? Remember to inform your agent or insurer because you may be able to claim discounts on future CT homeowners insurance premiums.

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