How to Keep Burglars Out of Your Rural House or Home

Be prepared. Keep law enforcement phone numbers near your phones so they are easily accessible during an emergency. Keep the phone numbers programmed into a cell phone, too. Because a rural house is farther from the city, it may take police longer to respond to a call. So, reduce delays by keeping police phone numbers handy.

Keep exterior doors to the house, garage and barn buildings closed at all times. Use deadbolt locks for buildings that house expensive equipment, tools or machinery. Because there are fewer neighbors near a rural home, it may be harder to monitor multiple entrances. Keeping the doors locked and closed will help deter burglars.

Store expensive farm equipment, machinery, fuel supplies and vehicles as close to the house as possible, if they are not already securely locked in a building. Keep the area well-lit so the items are clearly visible at night.

Place signs in the yard showing equipment is Operation Identification engraved. An OI number can be obtained from the police department and etched onto equipment so that items are easier to identify if stolen. Small tags with this number can be placed in bales of hay, cotton or grain to help with identification. Thieves may decide not to waste their time at a property that uses this identification system.

Use caution when screening visitors. Dealers, sales people, a fundraiser, messenger or delivery person may instead be a burglar who wants to learn the layout of the property before striking. Keep the driveway blocked with a gate, install an intercom and meet visitors at the foot of the driveway before allowing them to enter the property.

Limit hiding places in the yard. People living in rural areas may have bigger yards. If there is an abundance of trees, shrubs or bushes on the land, add lights or motion sensors to reduce the number of nighttime hiding spots and to wake people up if there is some movement in the yard.

Ask the police department to check on the home during vacations or on an extended getaway. Having the police check up on a home is a good safety measure, especially if there are no neighbors close by or few cars that pass by the house.

Build fences around buildings and the house. This adds one more hurdle since stolen objects need to pass through the barrier before the thief can leave with the item. This makes it tougher to steal large and heavy objects. If the fence is large enough, it can also be an extra deterrent, keeping the thief out of the house or building altogether.