W e spent a year interviewing more than 100 burglars about their crimes and why they targeted one home over another.

Here’s what we found you can do to make your home less of a target...

Install storm windows. To conserve energy, storm windows have two or three panes of glass. Burglars hate these windows because they are noisy and difficult to shatter. A significant number of thieves mentioned that they did not try to break into houses with storm windows. Installing these windows on the ground floor is usually sufficient.

Beware of acquaintances. In many reported burglaries, the thief isn’t a close friend, but someone invited into the victim’s home once or twice. This access gave the burglar a feel for the layout of the home, the value of possessions and whatever security measures were in place. Steps to take...

Ask teenagers to limit party invitations to people they know well. Forbid them from putting out general invitations.

Do not supply the people who make repairs, deliver packages or sell things with information about you or your home. The thieves in our study told us that they often received the best leads from friends who were delivery people. The delivery people passed along comments they had heard from victims, such as, “Thank goodness you made it today. We’re going on vacation tomorrow.”

Be suspicious of unsolicited phone or door-to-door sales pitches. Burglars who use this scam ask when would be a more convenient time to speak with you. They are actually more interested in hearing when you won’t be around.

Secure the interior door leading to the garage. Most homeowners pay careful attention to the locks on their home’s front and back doors. But the door connecting your garage to your home is a favorite of thieves. Most garage doors can be broken into relatively quickly. The garage then provides thieves with cover.

Helpful: Replace this door with a solid wood or steel door if the current one is made of hollow wood. Install two deadbolt locks to ensure that thieves will face greater difficulty trying to get in.

Don’t outdo your neighbors. When thieves are searching for potential targets, they always look for homes that stand out as the nicest in the area.

Helpful: Keep your home’s paint job and landscaping in line with those of your neighbors. Don’t make them superior.

Know what today’s thieves want, and hide it all. The market for hot consumer electronics has plummeted in recent years. Today, thieves are mainly after cash, jewelry, weapons and pharmaceuticals. Since all of these items are small, and thieves like to be in and out quickly, find great places to hide these valuables.

Least likely to be searched: Children’s bedrooms, basement, utility closet and kitchen.

Prime targets: Master bedroom, living room, dining room and medicine cabinets.

Be aware when bringing valuables home. Thieves told us that they are drawn to houses where they’ve seen someone walk in the front door with a new VCR or stereo in their arms. It’s not that they want the VCR. Rather, they believe there are probably lots of other nice things inside.

Best: Take valuable items out of your car when it is parked in the garage. Cut up boxes before you throw them out. This will keep what you just bought from being an advertisement sitting by your curb.

Buy an alarm system. If your home has been targeted once, it’s likely to be targeted again.

Whatever made your home stand out to one burglar might make it stand out to another. And now that a burglar knows your house and has had success robbing you, it’s common for him/her to wait until you’ve had a chance to replace your things, then rob you again.

Make it hard to tell if you’re away. Always shut and lock your garage door when there are no cars inside.

Your mailbox should not make it obvious that you haven’t yet brought in the day’s mail. Make sure the mailbox’s latch works, so that the door doesn’t hang open.

And if you go on an extended driving trip, pack the car in the garage or load it at night.