50 Tips for Better Home Security
Burglars can be anything from opportunists to highly calculating criminals, but they all have one thing in common, they take advantage of weaknesses in your home security. Don’t give burglars an in, protect your home from break-ins with these 50 tips for better home security:
1) Lock your doors – always!
It sounds like a no-brainer but it’s not uncommon to leave your door unlocked when you’re at home. Get into the habit of locking your doors even when you’re in the house to avoid any unwelcome guests.
2) Think like a burglar
Thieves are getting smarter – and so should you. Walk around your home and take a look at the potential weaknesses. Keep an eye out for anything that might attract a burglar or anything that might be an easy way in.
3) Get rid of your spare key
Everyone does it, and every burglar knows it! Leaving a spare key under a plant pot, a fake rock or under the matt isn’t clever and it won’t take long for a burglar to find your hiding place however original you think it might be.
4) Keep it lit
Don’t let a burglar go unseen; ensure that there is adequate lighting outside your home. Dark corners and driveways scream out to crooks that they can get in without being noticed.
5) Use motion detectors
It could just be the neighbour’s cat, or it could be a burglar. By having motion detecting lights you’ll not only deter a thief but you’ll know when someone is at your door or round the back of your house.
6) Use timers
Create the impression your home even when you’re not; set timers to have lights and the TV come on even when you aren’t there.
7) Trim your bushes
No, having a neat and tidy garden doesn’t deter intruders, but having a very visible front door and window does. If your windows and door are in full view from the street, a potential burglar would have to work in the open where they can easily be seen. Don’t make it easy for them to go unnoticed!
8) Don’t leave valuables lying around
After a day bike riding or a hard days gardening it’s easy to leave out the lawnmower or bicycle – but this is an easy target for opportunist thieves. Ensure valuables like these are not left outside but put away in a locked shed or garage.
9) Lock sheds and garages
Just as you wouldn’t leave your house unlocked all day whilst out, or all night while you sleep, lock up your sheds and garages!
10) Don’t leave valuables on display
Just as it’s easy to leave items lying around outside, it’s easy to leave things lying around inside. But nothing tempts a burglar more than a laptop lying around, money or even an expensive camera left on the coffee table. Put things away and avoid stirring their temptation.
11) Dispose of boxes and packaging
Nothing could be more of a tell-tale sign that you have expensive items in your home then the boxes and packaging left in your outdoor bin or outside your property – get rid and quick.
12) Don’t leave tools and ladders outside your home
Tools and ladders left outside are an opportunist burglars dream. Don’t leave them lying around when you aren’t there, or someone else may decide to use them.
13) Close your windows
Again, it sounds simple, but many forget to do it. Do a quick check before you go out; it won’t take you long but could save you returning to a nasty surprise.
14) Invest in window security
Additional door security is common place, but many overlook their windows. There are many inexpensive window locks and sash jammers that can be purchased to enhance window security.
15) Get a good quality lock
Locks are the easiest way for a burglar to get into your door as many come with little security. Know your lock and do your research, it may even be worth having a locksmith install one so you can be sure it won’t easily fail.
16) Install a door chain
Door chains are a great additional home security feature and it’s recommended every door has one. You can use it for extra protection as you check who is calling and also to deter burglars if they do manage to open the door.
17) Don’t answer the door if you don’t know who is calling
Door step crime is on the rise, with more and more intruders simply knocking on the door to get in. Don’t open up if you aren’t sure who it is or if you aren’t convinced they are who they say they are.
18) Install a door viewer
One way to protect yourself against door step crime is to install a door viewer. That way you’ll always know who is at your door before you open it.
19) Use solid core exterior doors
It’s not uncommon to find some doors are nothing more than a hollow core construction with a thin wooden layer – this can easily be broken into. Ensure all your exterior doors are solid and good quality.
20) Secure glass panels in doors
Ensure the glass panels in a door are secure and can’t be broken. If you are unsure how effective they are replace them with laminated glass or buy special film to stick onto them which is equally as effective.
21) Secure sliding doors
They can often be a weakness in your home and an easy target – ensure they are reinforced by putting a metal rod on the bottom track.
22) Don’t forget your back door
Make sure your back door is just as secure as the front door.
23) Have a security expert assess your home
If you aren’t sure about the quality of your home security and want to improve things, it might be worth calling in a security expert to make an assessment.
24) Install an alarm
An alarm is a burglar’s worst nightmare and you don’t need anything fancy or expensive to be effective against thieves.
25) Install an alarm you can use
Fancy security systems are all well and good but if you can’t use it then it’s likely to fail. Keep things simple.
26) Test your alarm at least once a month
Don’t spend all that money on an alarm system and not check its working on a regular basis.
27) Don’t put the alarm code next to the alarm
It sounds like a wonderful idea when your teenager comes in late and has forgotten the code or when you need to rush downstairs for a drink in the night, but it’ll be a bad idea when a thief walks in.
28) Ensure your alarm can be heard inside and out
Scare intruders off before they get in!
29) Get to know your neighbours
Being social has its perks, and when you are away on holiday or at work it’s good to know someone is looking out for your property.
30) Implement a neighbourhood watch scheme in your area
Neighbourhood watch schemes are proven to deter burglars – if you don’t have one already set one up where you live.
31) Don’t label your keys
If you lose your keys and they have either your name or address on, it’s easy to guess what will happen next.
32) Don’t leave keys in/ near the door
Many throw there keys down as soon as they walk into their house or leave them hanging in the back of their door. But it’s not unheard of for burglars to reach through letter boxes or open the door and take the keys – so keep them somewhere else.
33) Install a letter plate shroud
This will protect your inside handle from thieves and also stop them picking anything through the letter box.
34) Use signs
Signs are a fantastic deterrent from burglary. Hang a neighbourhood watch sign or beware of the dog to make crooks think twice.
35) Get a dog
Give them something to really be afraid of.
36) Get security cameras
Not only will you be able to see what’s going on outside your property but it will make any potential thieves think again.
37) Get a dummy security camera
Can’t afford a security camera? This is the next best thing.
38) Invest in a high quality safe
If you are unlucky enough to be the victim of burglary, make it hard for them to get their hands on the good stuff.
39) Keep your safe out of sight
Don’t let them know you have one.
40) Protect your identity
Ensure all documents with your name or address on are shredded or destroyed before they go in your outside bin.
41) Don’t announce where you are on social media
Whether you’re on holiday, out for the night or just at work, anyone can be a potential threat to your property, even someone you know, so keep quiet and keep safe.
42) House numbers should be large and easy to read
Make it easy for the emergency services if they need to get to your property.
43) Change your routine
A cunning burglar will start to see when your home at night and when you leave in the morning. Change things up, go out late; come home early or even pop home at lunchtime to throw them off.
44) Stay alert
If you see something out of place or unusual activity outside your home – tell someone or report it. It’s easy to feel silly or overcautious but it could well save yourself or your neighbour from having an extremely bad day.
45) Entrust someone to take in your post
If your away have someone take in your post so there isn’t a build up behind the door. This can be a tell-tale sign you aren’t there.
46) Have your calls forwarded while your away
Sometimes a burglar might call to see if anyone is home; if you aren’t answering it could set alarm bells ringing. Have your calls forwarded to your mobile phone or a friend.
47) Engrave items so they can be returned
In the event your belongings are recovered, if they are identifiable as your own, they are more likely to be returned.
48) Inside locks
If you are especially concerned with security it might be a good idea to install locks on inside rooms within your home, that way if a burglar does get in they are then stuck in one room with even more work to do.
49) Keep side gates locked and blocked
Keep your side gates locked so there is no access to your back garden and if you have something to block them with such as a wheelie bin, have the gate reinforced.
50) Get contents insurance
No one wants to be a victim, but if you are you’ll be sorry if you aren’t covered!
Need help with a lock? Find a local locksmith or read how to choose one.