Burglars are opportunistic, they look for easy ways to get in to a home that won’t take long or arouse suspicion. Homes that look unoccupied and insecure are more likely to be targeted. Here is a checklist to help you improve the security in and around your home, many of which will not cost anything.
Around the front and back of your home
- Prevent easy access to the back and sides of your home by installing locked gates, 2 meter minimum fencing or walls. Trellis topping also makes climbing difficult.
- Security lighting can be used to make offenders feel vulnerable and observed.
- Illuminate high risk areas and make sure it’s easy for you to see people approaching.
- Fit padlocks and hardware to shed and garage doors.
- Securely lock all doors and shut all windows before leaving the house. It’s easy to forget when you’re in hurry, but it’s the simplest way for a burglar to enter your home.
- Never leave keys anywhere near the front door, including your letterbox; burglars know where to look.
- Make sure that passers-by can see the front of your home so that a burglar can’t work without being seen.
- Remove and secure items that may be used to break in or climb up such as ladders and garden tools.
Inside your home
- Visibly and permanently marking your belongings helps you and the police identify them if they are stolen. It can also make it difficult for the thief to dispose of the property.
Are you at home?
- A home that looks empty is far more likely to be targeted by a burglar, so it’s worth making sure your home looks occupied.
- Do not close your curtains during the daytime; this can suggest your home is empty.
- Use automatic timer-switches to turn on a light and perhaps a radio when it goes dark, even if you are just going out for a couple of hours.
- If you’re away for longer periods of time, cancel any newspaper or milk deliveries.
- A pile of post on the doormat is a clear sign that you are away. Ask a trusted neighbor to clear your post away, or use Royal Mail’s “keep-safe” service; they will keep your mail for up to two months.
- A neighbor may also be able to help you by opening and closing curtains and even parking their car on your driveway.
- Work with your neighbors to keep an eye on each others security, Neighborhood Watch groups are good for this.
- And of course, make sure that you lock all doors and windows and set your burglar alarm if you have one.
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