One of many people’s worst nightmares is coming home after a day out or holiday to discover that their house has been burgled. So, how can we protect ourselves and our home from becoming the latest statistic in rising crime rates? Below we have set out some tips from our professional locksmiths for you that will help deter thieves and keep your home and possessions as safe as they can be.
- Use two locks on every outside door – If you have two locks on your door, it means double the time and double the risk for a burglar. They are more likely to try and find a house with just one lock.
- Ensure both locks are in use!! – Even if you have two locks, you won’t be any safer than a home with just one if you don’t use them. A thief will approach the front door and press down on it with his foot to determine whether the door has two locks in operation.
- Don’t use “beware of the dog” stickers – Because having a pet is seen as an age-old way to secure your home, many dog owners choose to make this point very obvious by placing a sticker on their front window. However, we would advise against it. If they have a cat or a dog wandering around, you know as a thief you’re going to get in because they won’t necessarily have an alarm on. Additionally, showing off a pet, like a cat, will only serve to alert any would-be burglar that there is likely to be a cat-flap somewhere on the back of the property, making access easier.
- Use curtains or blinds – You need something up at the windows to obscure the view from outside. Especially at Christmas, don’t display what you have bought or been gifted. This includes social media and packaging left outside your home. A lot of people put the empty boxes showing they got a 50″ LED TV outside, and it’s like an invitation in.
- Use window locks on all windows – It may not seem like much but window locks not only add security to your window but they can also act as a deterrent. A burglar seeing that you have taken extra precautions might be minded to move on as they know you are security conscious and have taken preventative measures.
- Get a letterbox cage – Many people leave their keys near the front door so they may leave right away, but they don’t consider letterbox fishing. This requires criminals reaching up and lifting the house or car keys with a rod they have driven through the letterbox. You may also be at risk of being similarly targeted if you leave your handbag close to the front door. Getting a caged box to sit inside the letterbox will prevent this.
- Think about where you display things in your home – You run the risk of being targeted if, like many homes, your calendar is displayed in the kitchen with its face toward the window. Burglars can read, therefore all they need to meticulously plan their next theft is a calendar that shows when you’ll be gone from home.
- Hide your mops and sweeping brushes – It may seem strange, but after breaking in through the back of the house, a thief will move towards the front entrance and lean a mop (or anything similar) against it. This will give him the opportunity to flee while you are searching for him, which can take less than two minutes. The catch on the front door is dropped so that you can no longer fit your key in the door, which is another tactic criminals take to defend themselves when they’re inside the house.
- Don’t rely on your dogs alone to guard the house – It has been shown on various TV programmes that a burglar who knows what they are doing, can entice dogs using food and befriend them, which leaves them free to roam the house and take your valuables.
- Take lots of photos of your rooms – It’s a good idea to photograph every area in your home, noting all valuable items as you go, in preparation for a possible break-in. There is another clever reason for keeping this information on hand in addition to the fact that it will be helpful to the insurance provider in the case of a robbery and may help the police locate any missing things. Having photographs of your rooms in their normal state will also help you to work out exactly what’s been taken.
How Can We Help?
We’ve never considered that burglars might be shrewd enough to use floor plans, virtual tours, and online photos to plan entry and exit points from homes, but it’s something we should all be on the lookout for. For more information about increasing security on your home, get in touch with the experts at Keyhole Kates.