Burglar-proof your house – recommendations to prevent break-ins
It’s the moment to channel your Macaulay Culkin Home Alone side and burglar-proof your house. Here are some recommendations to keep your family and property safe.
There’s nothing more exciting than moving into a new house, but putting safety measures in place can be stressful, especially if you don’t know how to do it. And the bad news is that burglary is still a common crime. In 2020/21, there were 267 thousand burglaries in the UK, so it’s vital to protect your house against criminals.
To help you enhance home security, this article presents some recommendations on how to protect your property and deter possible intruders from breaking in.
Keep reading!
Secure the windows and doors
Locking the doors and windows is the easiest defence against criminals. But did you know that many people neglect to do it? Most burglars are looking for an easy target, so they’ll supervise multiple houses and pick the one with unlocked doors or windows. Lock them even when you’re home because, despite that, they may not break in when you’re there; it’s still good practice. Before leaving home, double-check the windows and doors, even if they’re not at ground level, because intruders are creative these days when it comes to accessing top floors.
If you have a patio or greenhouse, ensure their doors and windows are also closed because burglars aren’t interested only in breaking into houses but any space that may contain items they can later sell. If you’re the forgetful type, use a device to keep track of the entryways. It’ll require you to install door and window sensors to track when you leave them unlocked and notify you.
Install a home security system
Installing a modern home security system effectively prevents break-ins and keeps intruders away from your property. Research shows that the properties without a performant security system are three times more likely to be the burglary target. But if an intruder sees a security camera outside your house, they’ll look for another target because most of them don’t have the knowledge or time to try to uninstall it.
CCTV security cameras are a great solution because they add an extra layer of protection to your house. If you pair the cameras with a burglar alarm you immediately boost the perimeter’s protection and prevent intruders from breaking into your house. The security system alerts you when there’s movement around your fence or house or someone tries to open the doors or windows. Depending on the security company that provides the security system, they can even send the law enforcement to your address to check it out.
Security systems are affordable these days. You can get a complex system including multiple features and devices or a stand-alone unit. It’s wise to hire an inspector to check your property and recommend a solution before installing a new home security system. They have the experience and skills to identify weaknesses you may miss.
Install outdoor lighting
Criminals don’t like to feel like they’re on display, so they often break into houses during the night. But you can make it difficult for them to hide if you install outdoor lights around your property. Remember that burglaries are usually crimes of opportunity. The intruders lurk outside the house, waiting for you to leave, so they can sneak inside. However, suppose you have outdoor lights installed around the garden, patio, and entryway. In that case, you can discourage them from entering the perimeter because they make it more likely for your home security system to catch them moving and alert law enforcement. While you may want to keep the garden lights on all the time because they have decorative purposes, there’s no use to keep the others turned on an entire night. Install motion-sensor lights to illuminate the surroundings when they detect movement. The light catches everyone moving around and can easily scare an unprepared burglar.
If you want to take your home security to the next level, install outdoor security cameras that record the surroundings. Don’t forget to discuss with your neighbours before putting them in place because they may have privacy issues.
Make it look that someone is home at all time
Most criminals don’t break into houses when there’s someone around. They prefer empty places where they can quickly move around. Therefore, another easy way to prevent a burglary is to make it look like there’s someone home. When you’re at the office, leave a TV or interior light on to make them think there’s someone around. If you’re leaving town for a longer period, like a vacation, ask a family member, friend, or neighbour to water the plans, collect your mail, and pass by daily. Mail pilling is the first thing that gives you away when you’re away from home.
You can also install smart lighting to create a more convincing effect because it allows you to program the lights and simulate activity as if you’re home.
Lock the garage
Last but not least, ensure that you don’t ignore any area of the house. You may put a lot of effort into securing your home, but if you neglect other places like the garage, you leave the house vulnerable to burglars. A skilled criminal can easily gain entrance to your house through your garage if a door connects them. When you first move into the house, check if the garage has doors and windows that require locking. Then make sure that you store the garage door opener inside the house, rather than the garage, where people can access it more leisurely. And finally, change the interior door’s lock with a new one and keep it locked when you’re not using the garage. If someone manages to break into your garage, they won’t be able to access the house.
As with the other doors and windows, it’s worth installing smart garage locks so you can control them remotely. This way, you can always check the app on your smartphone to ensure that there’s no way for an intruder to break in.
Final thoughts
You don’t want to be the victim of a home invasion. Consider the above recommendations to discourage burglars from transforming your house into a target.
