Protecting your home can be easy if you take necessary steps to reduce the risk of theft or property damage. Working with your local home insurance broker can allow you to implement effective strategies that go a long way toward keeping your home safe. 

To get you started, here are three simple solutions to help protect your valuables from burglars.

Position your valuables strategically – Burglars often go straight to the master bedroom. This makes sense if you think about it. Often, the people in the house who make the most money, and theoretically own the nicest things, use the master bedroom. If you remove valuables from that area when you are not home you may be able to prevent them from being found if someone does break into your home.

Secure your garage – What's in your garage? A bunch of old paint cans and that lawnmower you've been meaning to replace? Probably nothing you expect someone to steal. As a result, people don't often think about securing this part of their home. However, they can be common entry points into your home. If you leave your garage open when you go to work or anywhere else where you'll be away from home for a while you might be giving criminals easy access into your house.

Be a neighbor – The golden rule applies here. If you make an effort to get to know your neighbors and establish a community in your area, you can help keep your home protected when you are out. Neighbors who know you well might be able to recognize if it's your uncle who's coming to visit that's parked outside your house or someone who shouldn't be there. If you watch out for your neighbors' home, they'll likely do the same for you.