Leave the chamber empty; if you find a burglar busily loading up your stuff, you will have fun watching him load up his pants when you rack the slide. But don't laugh too hard - he may be armed as well, so be ready to introduce him to his Maker.
I have a couple of old Winchester Model 12's. They make a sound when loading that will most certainly loosen the bowels of any intruder.
Another newbie. Get to a defensive course now before you hurt yourself.