There is a home burglarly every 108 seconds somewhere in the UK.
The Average cost of a residential burglary is £3,030 according to the ONS. That doesn’t include the emotional cost.
It is estimated that somebody is at home during 58% of burglaries.
Keeping your home secure is vital to the safety of yourself, your family and your belongings. Follow our eight top tips to keep your home safe
Install a home security system
Home security systems offer perhaps the most powerful protection for your home, and need not break the bank. A simple alarm system, with a few visible signs in windows saying you have an active system can greatly diminish the likelihood of home break-ins.
If you can afford it, motion sensors on doors and windows, along with 24-hour monitoring, delivers even greater protection.
Make sure you check for discounts on your home insurance for a monitored security system.
Check out smart home technology
Consider investing in security cameras and other smart home technology, such as video doorbells and key locks. These systems are much easier to install now using wireless devices and can help you monitor your home and alert you to potential activity.
They also provide a great way to check in on pets when you’re away from home.
If you have cameras make sure their feed is recorded.
Don’t hide keys outside the house
We’ve all done it. For convenience, many of us have hidden a spare key outside, somewhere near the door. It might be under the welcome mat, in a planter or on a ledge.
If a key is easy for your family or friends to find, it’s also easy for thieves to find.
If you must leave a key somewhere, leave it with a neighbour you trust.
Keep those bushes trimmed
Large shrubs and trees by your house provide ideal places for thieves to conceal themselves while they try to get inside. Tall trees can be the equivalent of a ladder to a higher floor.
By keeping bushes trimmed and lower to the ground, you’re making it harder for would-be burglars to gain access to your house.
Make it look like you’re home
I know that 58% of burglaries occur when someone is in the house, but most burglars want to strike while you’re away, so don’t broadcast the fact that the house is empty.
Use timers to turn on and off some of your electrics. This can include entrance lights, internal lights, the radio and even TV. Get timers which allow you to turn them on at different times so there is no single pattern. Smart timers give you the flexibility to turn lights on and off using your smart phone, really useful if your plans change.
Remember that lights left on unneccessarily during daylight hours may actually indicate that you are away. This means you will have to adjust timers a couple of times during the year.
Piles of mail, newspapers or other deliveries left unattended indicate that no one is there to collect them. If you are going to be away for an extended period, such as a holiday, ask a neighbour to collect any mail.
Install outdoor lighting
Darkness provides cover for any would be burglar and is their best friend. When any would be burglar approaches your house and is met by bright light it can be a strong motivation to move on.
Motion-activated lighting systems are inexpensive, and easy to install. Their sudden illumination of a space will surprise any burglar and draws the attention of others to what is going on.
They also help you when you return home and illuminate the path to your door.
Be careful that illuminating only some areas will leave dark approaches which can be easily identified and may be used.
Be friends with your neighbours
We live in a 24 hour society where it is possible to know people living on the other side of the world, better than anybody in your own town. That’s great, but not helpfulf when it comes to keeping an eye open and practically helping each other out.
The truth is that your neighbour is just as likely to be interested in your house being safe as you are.
At the very least, get to know your neighbours. Work at building an amicable relationship. Together, you can create a network of eyes that’s always on the lookout for suspicious behaviour.
If you’re going away, let your neighbours know in advance so they can be extra vigilant. When they go on holiday, you can do the same for them.
Exchange phone numbers and emails so you can contact them when an emergency arises.
You could even join a neighbourhood watch groups or online forums to keep informed about things going on in your local area.
Keep windows and doors locked
It sounds obvious but needs saying.
A lot of burglaries are opportunity acts. If you leave your doors and windows open then you are inviting them to nip in and out.
Fit movement restrictors to your windows so that when the weather’s nice, and you open one, you know it cannot be easily fully opened.
Finally, we are all creatures of habt and put our purses, wallets and keys down in the same place each time we come in. Choose somewhere out of sight. Don’t leave valuable items in plain view through your windows. Thieves may take this opportunity to quickly break the glass and grab your valuables.
