Your home is your safe place and to have it burgled is a very traumatic experience according to those that this has happened to. Burglaries appear to rise in the autumn and winter and with these months approaching, it may be time to consider how to safeguard your home against thieves.
Since most burglaries are opportunistic, some minor adjustments may be enough to deter most thieves. As a locksmith of many years, I have often been called to change the locks on homes that have been burgled or sometimes to board up windows or doors. Here’s what I think makes your home more attractive to opportunistic thieves:
- Overgrown bushes and trees that block the view of the house from the street
- Detached and end terrace houses are more at risk
- Houses near a house that has just been burgled. This is distressing but these homes are at greater risk since normally the thief has scoped out the layout and security risk of the adjacent homes and knows the risks.
- Lack of security measures such as motion lighting, CCTV, an alarm system, strong doors, and inferior locks on Upvc doors.
- Windows that are left open to allow for ventilation or for pets to leave and enter the property
How can I reduce my risk?
Whilst it may be impossible to stop all burglaries, we would recommend that you:
- Invest in outdoor security lighting and a burglar alarm. These will make thieves think twice about even trying. And having a monitored alarm system is even better.
- Cut back overgrown hedges and tall trees that are creating areas of cover for thieve
- Keep doors locked and invest in strong locks for your front and back doors
- Use timers to switch on lights when you are out in the evening
- Keep blinds down when you are out so that no one can look through your windows and see what is inside
- Invest in a high-quality Euro cylinder lock for your Upvc doors
- Always close windows when you are not in your property
- Keep all ladders and tools locked safely away
Did you know that we offer a security review of your home and can point out some of the places where you could improve your security? If you are very unlucky to be a victim of burglary, don’t hesitate to call us to help change or repair locks or for any other advice.
