In the last 10 years, the number of insurance claims being made by house owners has substantially increased. A burglary in any person’s home is a very upsetting and distressing experience for everyone involved. A great number of homes are at risk because they don’t have the right level of protection to prevent a burglary from occurring. Therefore, you may find the following tips for protecting your home and property suggested below very useful.
1. Implement Security Lights
Burglars, vandals, and other criminals prefer to stay out of the spotlight if they can. If you want to keep such people from trying to break into your home then installing some security lights outside is a great idea.
Make sure that you place these lights both in the front and back gardens, as well as along any paths. Also if you have a garage make sure you place lights here and on any other outdoor structures such as a shed. Not only will this deter intruders but it will also allow you to easily make your way to your front door at night.
Along with security lights, you may also want to get some security cameras installed. These often come as part of a burglar alarm system. However, nowadays there are ones you can install that work on their own. Select a security camera that you are able to view through a mobile app so that you can easily keep an eye on your property wherever you are.
2. Get Along With Your Neighbours
Most people don’t tend to know who their neighbours are due to the fact we all lead busy lifestyles and don’t always spend a lot of time at home. It is definitely worth getting to know your neighbours though, as they will then be more willing to keep an eye on your home when you aren’t around.
Simply investing time getting to know your neighbours could make a huge difference in terms of making you feel more secure in your neighbourhood. You could also potentially set up some kind of neighbourhood watch scheme in order to get others involved and get to know people who may spend a great deal of time at home. Not only will this help create community spirit, but it will also mean everyone is equally aware of any potential security issues that could arise.
3. Rely On a Reliable Door
Burglars will always go for the easy option when they want to break into a property, making it crucial that all external doors to your home are extremely secure at all times. A good option is to replace your wooden door with a steel one that still appears wooden, or alternatively if you can’t afford this there are other options you can try.
The first would be to install a deadbolt lock to the door or upgrade to some smart locks to ensure maximum security. Another option would be to add locks inside any glass doors, or consider fitting a door or glass break sensor.
4. Lock Your Windows
Like doors, windows are a common entry point used by burglars. The problem is that most of the latches fitted by the manufacturers to the windows aren’t always that effective. You can easily rectify this by adding an additional lock to them.
Also, make sure that the windows are locked not only when you go out but also when you are in the house at night. Remember late at night or early in the morning is when most burglars will attempt to break into a home.
5. Install A Burglar Alarm System
Installing a burglar alarm system can make a huge difference to help with protecting your home and property from burglars. You can now buy systems that you can install yourself, which can act as a deterrent but won’t always prevent a burglar from trying to gain access to your home.
It is better if you can afford it to invest in a good quality burglar alarm system that is installed by professionals. There are many different alarm systems available to suit all budgets, ideally opt for one that comes with a monitoring service so that as soon as any sensors are tripped, they will automatically receive a report and can deal with it immediately.
6. Choose Ideal Gates
Gates at the front and rear of your property tend to be something we don’t really think about when it comes to protecting how home, however they offer an important, multi-purpose function. A gate can act as another deterrent to prevent someone from gaining access to your property, or it will at least make it much more difficult for a potential burglar.
Wooden gates look lovely, but if not cared for properly can begin to rot over time. They can also swell when wet and in certain weather conditions making them unable to close securely.
Instead, you may want to choose gates made from wrought iron or aluminium. Aluminium gates are a lot cheaper to install, aren’t susceptible to rust, and don’t need a lot of money spent on their upkeep.
As for wrought iron gates, these are heavier, meaning they are more difficult to open. However, be aware that like wooden doors, if you don’t take care of them over time the elements can cause them to rust.
Also, you may want to think about installing gates that you can to control using a remote, rather than a key. This will mean that the burglar or any other criminals will be unable to try and break the lock out.
7. Get A Safe
Should someone be able to access your home, you still need to make sure that any valuables are well protected. The best way of doing this is by getting a safe to store any valuables in such as vital documents or jewellery.
You need to select a safe for your home that is not only waterproof and fire-resistant but is also heavy enough to ensure that the burglar cannot walk out of your home with it.
Ideally, choose a safe that you can anchor to a concrete surface such as in your garage or in a study downstairs. Also, make sure you select one that is fitted with redundant locks. A safe with redundant locks actually has two locks fitted to it rather than the usual one.
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