Here are some top tips to keep your home secure….
- If you have items of value, particularly things that can be easily sold on the black market, then keep them out of sight of anyone who tries to “case” your house from outside the windows.
- When building or renovating, don’t use doors that have glass near the door-knob. It is easy for a burglar to smash a small pane of glass and simply reach through.
- Large dog doors need to be secured. it might look small, but thieves and burglars can often be young and smaller then you would expect.
- A barking dog is extremely effective!
- Make it difficult for a thief to conceal themselves as they break-in. So avoid tall hedges around windows and doors. Maintain good exterior lighting over your front door and motion sensing flood lights around the perimeter of your home.
- Don’t advertise the name of the security company that has installed your security system. Experienced thieves know the weaknesses in different systems and this can give them everything they need to disarm your system. Or to go away and research the weaknesses of that system.
- Window break alarms are surprisingly cheap these days.
- If your home is broken in to, an old (worthless) laptop in clear sight could be enough for them to think they have got something valuable and leave quickly.
The goal is not to make your home Fort Knox. But a few simple things will make your home a less desirable target and provide a reason for a thief to just move on.