Getting robbed is expensive business. According to the FBI, the average burglary can cost its victim around $2,416, SafeWise reported.
That is enough to make a massive dent to your bank account, which is why taking certain measures to safeguard your belongings is important. This includes concealing the sought-after items in your home that thieves tend to target, as Reader's Digest recently noted.
Based on that report, we take a look at seven of those items that feature on every burglar's "hit list."
1. Jewelry - Regardless of its value, your jewelry is a prime target. This is because it is easy to resell illegally. However, burglars are not going to spend hours sifting through your bling, separating the real from the fake. They will grab it all then make a dash for the nearest exit. It is best to hide all your jewelry in a safe place.
2. Cash - Burglars almost always rummage through your drawers, bags, and wallets in search for cold, hard cash but unlike a credit or debit card, you cannot cancel it or trace it once it is gone. Cash loss is also a tricky one to prove to insurers. Refrain from keeping large sums of cash in your home.
3. Prescription drugs - This may come as a surprise but prescription drugs are among the more popular items in your home that burglars are looking to steal. Aside from personal use, these drugs can be resold on the street. Keep your medication hidden in a safe place and dispose of any that have expired.
4. Electronics - Gaming consoles, smartphones, iPods, and unmounted TVs are among some of the top items that burglars are looking for when they break into your home. This is because these devices are easy to conceal and extremely portable. Hide the gadgets away and mount your TV to a wall, which is a massive deterrent to thieves.
5. Firearms - Stolen guns can easily be resold on the streets and at a high-ticket price. Leaving firearms in places where they can easily be found will not only cost you financially. It also puts you and your family’s lives at risk. Gun safes and locked cabinets are not foolproof but they are essential.
6. Power tools - You may not think that your power tools are high up on a burglar's list but your tool shed is like a pot of gold to thieves. Power tools and even kitchen appliances can easily be resold, and generally at a good price. Make sure you lock your shed up and that you do not leave any tools lying around in your yard or garage.
7. Scrap metal - When a burglar looks at your scrap metal, they are seeing a valuable material that can easily be resold at a good price. If scrap metal is on their list, burglars will commonly target homes under construction, or may even pose as roofers, plumbers or electricians. Be wary of who you let work in your home.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.