It’s true that an alarm is an important part of your home security system, because it can scare off a potential intruder and alert the police. Many advanced systems today also allow you to monitor your home while you are away, and some include features such as carbon monoxide monitoring. Still, there’s a lot you can do beyond installing an alarm to help insure your home’s security.

Let’s start with landscaping. A burglar looking to get into your home doesn’t want to be seen by neighbors or someone passing by. He’ll look for places to hide near your house, and some of the best hiding places are behind bushes.

It’s best not to allow large bushes to grow too close to your house — burglars won’t mind getting a few scratches from a bush if it means they can get near a window without being seen.

Proper outdoor lighting is a cost-effective way to discourage burglars who like to strike at night, or in the late evening while the owners are out. A house that’s completely dark is inviting to a burglar. You can avoid making your home an easy target by installing outdoor lights, either on timers or activated by motion detectors, or a combination of both.

Having sturdy doors and windows seems like an obvious deterrent to burglars. True. But it doesn’t matter how strong your doors and windows are if you don’t close and lock them. A lot of break-ins happen through unlocked entryways, so an important part of your home security is simply locking your doors and windows.

Garages are another consideration many homeowners neglect. If your garage is attached to your house, make sure it is kept securely locked.

Beyond the fact that a burglar might steal some items from an unlocked garage, he can also gain easy access to your house. Even if the door between the garage and the house is secure, the burglar knows he has more time to work on it, since he’ll be hidden from view in the garage while trying to break in. Plus, he may find a lot of tools there to help him break in.

Finally, if you do have a home security system that includes an alarm system from a reputable company, make sure any potential burglars are aware of that. You can place stickers on your windows alerting them to the fact that the house is protected by an alarm system. Just make sure the stickers are in an obvious spot, since they don’t do much good if an intruder doesn’t see them.

First of all, most burglars are amateur opportunists. They’ll pick the easy targets and avoid anything that looks too hard. They also don’t want to get hurt or get caught, which is more likely to happen if they break in while you’re home. A lot of burglaries happen during the day when most people are at work, or in the evening when the homeowners are enjoying a night out.

Go outside your home and look at it as a burglar would.

Walk around tyour home and look for good hiding places. If you were trying to break in, could you hide from view while trying to get in a door or window — behind bushes, garbage cans, or a recess in a wall? How easy is it to get next to your house without being seen?

Now look in your windows. Do you see anything of value that might tempt a burglar or that advertises that you have something worth stealing? If so, you may want to move the valuable items away from windows so they can’t be seen.

Are your doors and windows sturdy? An expensive lock doesn’t do much good if the door can easily be kicked in. Both the door and the frame around it need to be strong and solid, so that the door cannot be easily jimmied with a crowbar.

Try gently prying doors and windows with a large screwdriver and see if they give a little. Don’t do this hard enough to damage anything, just enough to test for weak spots.

If you locked yourself out of the house, would you be able to get in through a window? If so, that’s how a burglar could get in. Many windows, especially if they’re old, can be easily pried open and don’t offer much security against a determined intruder.

Now approach your house by walking past your neighbor’s houses, still thinking like a burglar. Which ones look the most inviting?

If your neighbors have alarm systems, and your house doesn’t, what might that suggest to a potential burglar? You might be the most desirable target on the block if you don’t have a home security system installed. On the other hand, if your house has an alarm system and you advertise that fact with yard signs or window stickers, a burglar will think twice about trying to break in, especially if there’s a more tempting target up the street.

By taking some time to look at your home from a burglar’s point of view, you can get some good ideas on how to improve your home’s security.