The Complete Guide To Home Security
A burglary can leave you devastated, your home vandalised, your most precious and priceless items stolen and to top it all off leaving you with a rather large hole in your pocket, with repair costs, replacing stolen items etc. One thing that cannot be so easily replaced is the feeling of safety and security within your own home.
That’s why we have written a comprehensive and highly detailed guide to help you keep your home safe and secure. Not only will this blog help you secure your home but will hopefully leave you with a little piece of mind.
Table of Contents
Burglary Facts & Statistics
Criminal Minds
Burglars tend to be criminals of opportunity and simplicity. Most criminals do not seek a challenge or confrontation they commonly target homes which can be easily accessed without the threat of being caught. Researchers have found 3 factors the typical burglar uses to determine whether or not to burglarise a property. These are noise, visibility and time.
Burglars don’t want to hang about, they want to be in and out of a property as quickly as possible as the longer it takes the more likely they are to be detected. In other words, the harder you make it for a burglar to gain entry the better. However unfortunately many people make it too easy for a criminal to break in. As we pointed out earlier approximately 21% of burglars gain entry by walking through an unlocked door. A cheap lock may be easy to pick but it takes much more time then simply walking through the front door or climbing through a window. The simplest and easiest way to reduce the chance of a burglary is to lock all the points of entry to your property, this includes all accessible doors and windows.
Other than the time factor visibility always plays an important part. Poorly visible and poorly lit homes gives criminals comfort as these provide a cloak and are thus less likely to be detected.
Noise is also an important factor. Burglars are less likely to target a property where it could potentially get noisy, for example, a dog and alarm systems will bring much unwanted attention due to the loud noise created and also the potential of getting bit. As a result burglars are less likely to target such properties.
The three factors we have discussed are hugely important when it comes to keeping your home secure. So in order to help you improve your own security these again are the elements you need to examine. You can do this by the following.
The first step to improve your home’s security is try to think like a burglar and examine your homes security vulnerabilities. You have to imagine you’re a burglar and you’re trying to break into your own home. Keep in mind the three factors we discussed earlier: time, noise and sound, examine your property during the day and night and ask yourself the following questions.
- Do I have any open or unlocked doors and windows?
- Is my house visible from the road?
- Is my home well lit?
- Are there areas where a criminal could hide?
- Can I see valuables within my home?
- Do people in my household have a particular routine which will make it easier for a burglar to time their break in?
Remember you need to think like a burglar. Throughout this article we will give you ideas and suggestions on how you can improve the security of your home. 
Door Security
Between 60 and 70% of burglars gain access to your property using your front door. Unbelievably around 20% of the time the door is unlocked and the burglar literally just walks through the door. In this section we will discuss the different types of doors commonly seen on the average British home, in addition to there security weaknesses.
We will follow this up by discussing the techniques criminals use to bypass your doors security and what you can do to protect your home.
Firstly we will examine the typical types of doors seen on the average home. These can be split into a number of categories. These are as follows
UPVC Doors
Unplasticised Poly Vinyl Chloride or more commonly known as UPVC is a relatively new material used heavily in Europe and America and has become very popular for a number of reasons.
- Costs – UPVC tends to be considerably cheaper when compared to wooden and composite doors, while also providing additional benefits.
- Durability – UPVC is resistant to corrosion, fading, and rotting.
- Fire Safety – Unlike wooden doors UPVC is fire resistant.
- Energy Efficiency – UPVC is widely known for its insulating properties, both heat and sound insulation.
- High Security – UPVC doors come as standard with a Multi point locking system. The multi point locking system is usually operated by a euro cylinder, this type of door, when used properly is highly secure.
Wooden Doors
Wooden doors used to be seen up and down the UK on every door but with the invention of cheaper UPVC and more durable Composite doors, the day of the wooden door has come to an end. Wooden doors tend to be more expensive, less durable, and have a lower life expectancy compared to UPVC or Composite doors. Wooden doors are typically fitted with a latch and a deadlock.
Composite Doors
Composite doors are made using a number of materials which are glued together and then combined under high pressure. Composite doors are very similar to UPVC in almost every way but tend to be more durable and come in a number of designs. Composite doors tend to be more extensive than UPVC. Security wise Composite and UPVC are very similar and like UPVC, composite doors come with a multi point locking system as standard.
Now we have examined the types of doors typically fitted to the average home we can examine the types of locks fitted to these doors and how criminals bypass them.
Types of Locks
In the UK we typically have three types of doors: Wooden, UPVC and Composite. The three doors typically use three types of locks.
- Euro Cylinders –
Commonly Used on – UPVC Doors & Composite Doors
Vulnerable to – Lock Snapping, Lock Picking, Lock Bumping, Hooking, Fishing, Door Popping
- Night Latch –
Commonly Used on – Wooden Doors
Vulnerable to – Lock Picking, Lock Bumping, Brute Force, Sliding
- Mortice Lock –
Commonly Used on – Wooden Doors
Vulnerable to – Lock Picking, Lock Bumping, Brute Force, Sliding
Euro Cylinders
Night Latch
Mortice Lock
We have examined the types of doors typically seen on the average home as well as the lock systems typically fitted to each door. Now we will examine the tactics used by criminals to gain access to your home and what you can do to stop them.
Criminal Tactics
Criminals use a variety of tactics to bypass your doors’ security. These are just some of the measures criminals use to gain access to your home.
- Lock Picking – Lock picking involves manipulating the internal components of the lock without using a key. This can be done with lock picks which can be brought very easily and cheaply.
- Sliding – This involves using something very flexible and thin in order to slide between the lock and the door frame removing the tension from the latch and opening the door. A video of how easy a criminal can break into your house by using such a techniques can be found here.
- Lock Snapping – This involves using simple DIY tools such as a hammer or pliers to snap an external part of a Euro Cylinder. Lock Snapping can be achieved in as little as 10 seconds. A video showing you how easy it is for criminal to snap your lock can be found here.
- Fishing – Criminals use a hook to push through the letterbox or open window to lift any keys left exposed. This techniques is also used to steal car keys.
- Lock Bumping – Is a method used by criminals to open a lock using a special made bump key by bumping the pins into place and consequently opening the door.
- Brute Forces – This involves using physical force to break the door, the hinges or the door frame.
- Hooking– Burglars push a hook through the letterbox and with some careful handy work can open your door from within. This is a particular vulnerability with UPVC and composite doors. A video of how easy this is can be found here.
- Door Popping – Using a type of spade or chisel and a specially designed air pillow criminals can create a gap in the door using the air pillows while then using the spade or chisel to wedge the door until it pops open.
Increasing Security on your front Door
Double Locking – This is by far the easiest and cheapest way to dramatically increase the security of your door. Double locking means simply locking your door with your key and not relying on the latch.
On UPVC and Composite doors this involves inserting your key into the Euro Cylinder, lifting the handle and locking the lock initiating the bolts and hooks. By double locking you dramatically enhance the doors force resistance, and making it impossible to use a hook to open the door from within while also making it impossible to pop open the door.
On a wooden door to double lock you can do two things, the first is to lock the latch by either pressing the button or pushing the little switch usually placed on the side of the latch. The second way to double lock your wooden door is to lock your mortice lock with your key. By locking the mortise lock you greatly reduce the chance of success of lock picking, bumping and strengthening the door against a brute force attack.
Upgrading your Locks – High quality locks are one of the best ways to increase the security on any door. High quality and high security locks such as ABS locks by Avocet, Banham Locks, or Ultion locks by Bristant will do wonders for your doors security. High security locks meet BS 3621 in addition to having the best security rating which is 3 stars, this level of security is recommended by both Insurance companies and the Police.
High Quality locks are designed to counter any attempt to bypass them.
They do this by
- Security Pins & Magnets – Anti Bump And Anti Pick Pins are located within the lock. These pins make it much harder to pick and almost impossible to bump.
- Stronger Materials and Anti Drill Pins – Using stronger materials such as Molybdenum and anti drill plates and pins to withstand drilling for longer.
- Sacrificial Section – A sacrificial section of a lock can be seen on the external section of a euro cylinder and will easily break off in the event of a lock snapping attempt, leaving the remainder of the lock safely within the door.
Simple Door Additions – Small simple additions to your door such as a letterbox cage, door chains, peep hole can make a big difference to your security. The vast majority of burglars are opportunists and it’s not uncommon for a burglar to actually knock on the person’s door before committing a crime. Letter box cages act to prevent burglars from tampering with your locks through the letterbox using hooks.Door chains allow you to talk to people without actually opening the door exposing yourself and your home.
London & Birmingham bars – For Wooden Doors – Wooden doors in particular are vulnerable to forceful attacks, one way to enhance the force resistance of your door is to install a London and Birmingham bar to your door frame.
Window Security
As we discussed earlier around 29% of burglars gain access to a property using a window, this makes securing your windows a necessity when beating the burglar. We have put together a list of practical steps you can take in order to beat the burglar.
- Keep your windows shut – Now we know this sounds easy right? But you would be surprised by the amount of people that leave their windows open especially when leaving their home. So one way to remember to shut your windows is a simple post it notes located next to the front door reminding you to shut and lock your windows every time you step out your front door.
- Double up – If your windows are single glazed not only do they allow heat to escape your home increasing your energy bills, they are also extremely fragile and easy to break, this can be a big security concern if located on the ground floor. We recommend replacing your single glazed windows with tougher and energy efficient double or even triple glazed windows, not only increasing the security of your home, but keeping you warmer in the winter and saving you money on your energy bills.
- Lock up – So we know to keep our windows shut but we should also keep our windows locked. Key operated locks are recommended for window types that open out, rather than up. Window locks should be fitted to all windows on the ground floor and locked before leaving your home or before you go to bed.
Security Bars & Grilles – This is an expensive option but a very effective one too. Security grilles and bars are a great way to make your windows almost impossible for an intruder to enter unless they are equipped with some heavy duty grinders to cut through, however, this is extremely unlikely to happen. We often think of security bars and grilles as ugly but their are now a wide range of designs available for all manner of tastes helping ensure security while at the same time keeping it stylish.
Window restrictors / sash stops – On them hot summer days and you want to keep your windows open especially on sticky nights we recommend utilizing window restrictors, on sash windows use sash stops. These are designed to allow your windows to open enough to allow fresh air to enter but not enough for someone to climb through. Window restrictors are designed to be tough and withstand a force of up to 450kg.
Shed & Outbuilding Security
Burglars are not just interested in your home. Your shed and any outbuildings you have are also vulnerable. Think about all the valuable items located in your shed or outbuildings. Maybe you have an expensive mountain bike, power tools, gardening tools, it probably adds to a small fortune. The vast majority of sheds and outbuildings have very little security. In this section we will give you some common sense advice on how you can easily increase the security of your shed and outbuildings and how you can reduce the likelihood of a burglary occurring.
- Obscure the windows – If your shed or outbuilding has windows, criminals will usually have a look inside to see if its worth breaking into and if they see something valuable they are more likely to break an entry. Windows are also a weak point allowing criminals to easily smash the window and break in. If your shed or outbuilding is used purely for storage there is no need for windows and we recommend you either brick or board them removing one of their main vulnerabilities. If you don’t want to do this an alternative is to stick on opaque security sheeting which obscures anyone from seeing inside while also preventing glass from breaking and shattering. If you require light from the outside you could add blinds or curtains as an alternative.
- Fit an alarm – A determined burglar will be able to break into your shed or outbuilding no matter how much protection you put in place. That’s why it is always a good idea to fit an alarm in your shed or outbuilding. Depending on your budget you could either buy a full alarm system encompassing a door sensor, motion sensor and siren, if your budget is a bit smaller you could always buy a standalone alarm which is an all in one system with a siren and a motion sensor built into the same unit, these can be brought relatively cheaply and are easy to install.
- Anchor the Shed – If you have a small and lightweight shed it may be a good idea to anchor it into the ground. It has been known for criminals to lift light sheds. Consider using L plates, screws brackets and raw plugs to either connect it to the ground or a nearby wall. Another way to achieve the same things is to place breeze blocks within the shed making it too heavy to lift.
- Add a lock – Most sheds lack a fitted lock. We recommend ensuring any shed or outbuilding is fitted with a high quality and high security lock. High security locks are built to be much harder to bypass then standard locks. The site of a British standard ensign on a lock is enough to deter some burglars from even trying.
- Lock Large items together – You may have done everything possible to prevent a burglary from occurring but the burglar may still be able to successfully enter your shed or outbuilding. In this case you can prevent your items being stolen by placing them in a site box fitted with a high security padlock.
- Mark your belongings – If all of the above precautions we have discussed are in place the likelihood of a burglar getting away with anything of value is very small however it is always best to prepare for the worst case scenario. You can do this security marking your most expensive products with a simple UV pen, etching or chemical DNA marking. If you are to do this you must also register your marked item on websites such as https://www.immobilise.com.
- Check your Insurance – Finally check your insurance policy to ensure your shed and outbuildings are covered. You should ensure you have photographic evidence of all valuable items contained within them. You may require a certain level of security in order to qualify for the insurance so it is important you check for these.
Garden Security
Your garden may be a soft and highly valuable target for criminals. It is often easier for criminals to gain access to your garden compared to your home, shed or outbuildings. Gardens can also contain valuable items which can quickly and easily be sold.
Taking steps to secure your garden and your valuables within it will reduce the risk of a burglary and even possibly reduce your insurance premiums.
Good Garden Security involves the following 4 elements.
- Fencing
- Locks
- Lighting
- Storage & Tidiness
Fencing – Generally there are 2 rules when it comes to fence security. Firstly if the front of your property comes out to a main road it’s generally better to have a lower fence, we recommend 4 feet (1.2 meters). The reason for this is increased visibility. By having a low fence at the front of your property it allows passersby and your neighbours to see the front of your property deterring criminals as they are in plain sight. The second rule is to have a high fence at the rear of your property, we recommend as high as possible which is usually 6.5 feet (2m), anything higher than this will require planning permission from your local council.To enhance your security even further you can plant prickly and spiky plants such as ralia, Chaenomeles, Colletia, Crataegus (including hawthorn/may), Hippophae (sea buckthorn), Maclura, Mahonia, Oplopanax, Osmanthus, Poncirus, Rhamnus, Rosa (climbing & shrub roses), Rubus (bramble), Smilax Prickly ash (Zanthoxylum), there are plenty to choose from so get down to your local garden centre and look at all the different varieties to best suit your taste.
Locks – If the garden has a gate, we highly recommend you install a lock. The type of lock depends on how you use your gate. If you use your gate seldomly and don’t use it to leave your property, a high security padlock attached to a bolt will suffice which would be lockable from within your garden. If you use your gate to access and egress from your property then a long throw gate lock would be the most secure option. These locks are designed to attach to the gate; they contain a bolt system and a lock allowing you to lock the gate from both within your garden and externally.
Lighting – Lighting is very important and is always a good idea especially near accessible windows and doors to illuminate any suspicious activity and lets be honest, anyone who is near your doors and windows in the dead of night is most likely to be up to no good. Lighting will not only illuminate suspicious activity to yourself but also to your neighbours and will leave the criminal with nowhere to hide. We highly recommend purchasing and installing motion sensor lighting, which will turn on when something or somebody moves within a close radius. This will illuminate anybody trying to gain entry to your home at the same time will not disturb your neighbours with a constant bright light. To save energy try to purchase a light system with an LED bulb that will not only save energy but also money on your energy bills.
Storage & Tidiness – Many thieves are simple opportunists so don’t tempt thieves into your garden by leaving your valuable possessions laying around for any tom dick and harry to see and steal. Bikes, gardening tools, power tools, children toys are all on the criminals Christmas list which is why any valuable items should be stored safely within your home, garage or secured shed. Larger items such as barbecues should be covered up and secured with a heavy duty chain to something which is also heavy. Ensure any tools which can be used to gain access to your home such as ladders are either locked away or secured with a chain, a heavy padlock to a fence or something heavy. Garden furniture should be positioned away from the home as these can be used to gain entry.
Protecting Your Home When Your Away On Holiday
- First thing to do when going on holiday is to ensure your house is secure. This means locking all of your doors and windows, Sounds simple but mistakes do happen. Ensure this is top of your to do list before you leave your property and set off on your much needed holiday.
- Burglars often target homes which look unoccupied. So one of your priorities just before you leave should be to make the property look like someone is home. This can be done in a number of ways.
- Plug timers – Plug timers allow you to turn on and off TVs, lamps, radio during the day and night. You can purchase plug timers inexpensively at your local DIY store or online. Simply adjust the timers for when you want the chosen appliance to turn on and off. We recommend you use numerous appliances and set these for different times of the day and night, giving you maximum coverage.
- Cancel Deliveries – If you have any deliveries due such as milk or newspapers, we recommend cancelling these till you return. As a bunch of milk and newspapers outside a property is a clear indication that nobody is home and your home is ripe for the picking. If you do not wish to cancel deliveries for any reason ask a trusted friend, neighbour or family member to collect any deliveries on a regular basis.
- Use Royals mails Keep Safe Service – Similar to a build up of milk bottles and newspapers a pile of unopened letters is basically an invitation into your home. So to stop the build up of letters Royal Mail have a service called Keep Safe. Royals Mails Keep Safe service involves Royal Mail withholding any letters or parcels for a specified time period of your choosing. Keep in mind this service is not free but is very affordable, furthermore Royal Mail will need a 5 day notice period.
- As we discussed earlier a lot of the time burglars know their victim. That’s why it is always best to never discuss your holiday plans with anyone apart from trusted family, friends and neighbors the fewer the people the better. Similarly do not post any pictures of yourself on holiday on social media platforms until you are back home.
- Tell a trusted family member, friend or neighbour that you plan to go on holiday and inform them of the day you leave and return. Ask them to carry out every day tasks such as keeping your garden tidy and going into your property to check for any security breach or to set the plug timers. Ensure you have left them your contact number and where you will be staying on your holiday. Ensure to offer the same courtesy when they go on holiday.
- If you have valuable items such as large sums of cash, jewelry or important documents either place them in a safe or in a hiding place as we discussed earlier.
- Before you leave for your holiday ensure valuable items such as, games consoles, laptops, PCs, TVs are placed where they cannot be seen from the outside. Many thieves are opportunists so if you don’t give them the opportunity they will not take it.
- Never put your full address on your luggage when traveling. A thief may be able to tell from this that you will be traveling and will have your full home address. Instead we recommend your name and postcode.
- Set your alarm if you have one. Approximately 30% of people never set their alarms making them useless. Ensure whenever you leave your home including when you go on holiday your alarm is set. And don’t forget if you have anyone coming to your home to visit to carry out the day to day tasks, ensure you give them the correct password for the alarm system.
Worst Case Scenario Preparation
You may implement every security measure humanly possible but this is no guarantee a determined burglar won’t find a way through. So we will help you minimize any damage or theft caused by a determined burglar.
- Safes – So a burglar has broken into your property with his trustworthy tool set. He broke in through either the window or door but can he crack a safe? I think not! A safe is one of the safest places to hide your valuable items, such as cash, jewelry, contracts and other important documents. The best type of safe is either big and heavy or small and hidden. Big heavy safes are great for storing large sums of cash and any bigger objects that may be to big for a standard size safe. Bigger safes are much more secure and are often filled with concrete to add weight and security. All large safes come with an “insurance rating”. This rating indicates the maximum amount of cash that an insurance company will cover if stored in the safe overnight. The higher the rating the higher the level of security and the more secure the safe is. Smaller safes are easy for a criminal to pick up and run away with, they can figure out how they are going to break into later. Unless the safe is hidden. Safes can be hidden in a variety of places most notably under a floorboard or within a wall. Things to consider before purchasing a safe are as followed
- What you will put in the safe
- The size of the safe needed
- The level of security needed
- Hiding Places – If you haven’t got a safe, the next best thing is a hiding place to store your valuables such as cash, jewelry etc. Some places are listed below.
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- In a “random” folder in your filing cabinet
- In the pocket of a particular shirt in your closet
- Wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil and stored in the back of the freezer.
- Store cash and jewelry in decoy containers
- In an envelope taped to the back of a wall decoration.
- Alarm – A fully functional and fully used alarm system is one of the best ways to scare off a burglar when he has broken into your property. A full alarm system with a bell box, motion sensors and control console, which is activated every time you leave the property and at night when you are asleep. The high decibel ringing of the bell will scare off any intruder when his actions have been brought to the attention of your whole street.
- Check your insurance – If the worst was to happen and let’s say, in theory your house was broken into and the burglar damaged your property, they then proceeded to steal some of your most valuable and treasured items. A terrible thought, you may not be able to get your sentimental items back but you may be entitled to claim their monetary value through your insurance. Now bear in mind, this does depend on your home insurance policy and the manner in which your house was broken into. For example, if you left your front door unlocked and the burglar walked in, you may not be entitled to any compensation. However if your door had a British Standard lock fitted and this was engaged and the burglar bypassed the lock and entered, chances are you will be entitled to a claim. The next problem would be proving what possessions you had. A few ways you can help your case, is to keep all receipts, proof of ownership documents and photographs. These items can be used as evidence and reinforce your claim.
- Security Marking – If your valuables are stolen, there is a way to increase the chance of one day repossessing your goods. It involves marking your items and registering this on websites such as www.immobilise.com. You can mark your items in a number of ways such as etching, chemical DNA marking or with a UV pen. This means if the item are to ever be stolen and found by the police there is a much higher chance of the police identifying you and returning it to its rightful owner.
- CCTV – CCTV also known as Close Circuit Television is a great burglar deterrent for any home and with today crystal clear imaging and relatively low cost almost everyone can afford one, with single camera systems costing as little as £40. CCTV cameras have come algorithm way in the last 10 years with most modem systems able to stream directly to your smart phone using a dedicated app. Even if the CCTV does not deter a burglar it will provide great evince for the police investigating the crime. The same can be said for Smart doorbells such as ring.
General Home Security Measures & Summary
Double Lock – ITCC have mentioned this subject numerous times as it is such an easy way to dramatically increase the security of your home. On UPVC and Composite doors, double locking your euro cylinder will activate the bolts and hooks keeping the door firmly in place. Double locking these doors will prevent popping and hooking attempts, while also dramatically strengthening the door against any brute force attack. On wooden doors ensure you lock your deadlock, this will make sliding the door impossible and greatly reduce the risks of successful lock picking and bumping attempts and will also strengthen the door against a brute force attack.
Upgrade Your Locks – Let’s face it some locks are cheap and cheerful and can be picked in minutes or bumped or snapped in seconds. Some locks are very flimsy and consequentially making you more vulnerable to a break in. We always recommend our customers have locks which meet British Standard 3621, these locks also have the highest security rating of 3 stars and are recommended by both Insurance companies and Police. High quality locks from the outset have been designed to counter any attempt to bypass them.
Lock Your Windows – Around 30% of burglars break into your home using your windows. Ensure you have locks fitted to all of your windows especially those on the ground floor. While these are not foolproof they can deter a burglary.
Know The Neighbours – One of the best security measures you can take is to know your neighbors and ask them to keep an eye on your house and vice versa, like a mini neighbourhood watch. One of the primary reasons burglars are caught is due to neighbours reporting unusual or suspicious activity.
Install Home Security Systems – Research has continually shown homes without security systems such as an alarm are roughly 2 – 3 times more likely to be broken into. Alarms deter burglars by bringing audible attention to their crimes. There are a few different varieties of home alarm systems, the premium alarm will alert the police when activated. These alarms will also be wireless and may also include security cameras as well. If this is a little out of your price range you can purchase alarm systems from your local DIY store and install them yourself. For your sheds, garages and outbuildings a standalone alarm system is also a great and cheap alternative.
Keep the Outside of Your House Well Lit – Baddies don’t really like to be seen and they especially don’t like to be seen when they are breaking into a property. You can deny them darkness by installing motion sensor lighting to the front and back doors, as well as any ground floor windows if possible. Having a bright light suddenly illuminate the bad guy may scare them off and if it doesn’t scare them off it will show them to your neighbours.
Get a Dog – Having man’s best friend to watch your back is always a good idea, while you shouldn’t get a dog just for this purpose it is an added bonus. Having a dog in your house will deter a burglar or criminals from trying to access your home. It may not be the fear of being attacked (which may be the main factor if you have a big dog such a Pitbull or Rottweiler) but the possibility of being caught due to the barking of the dog.
Careful With What You Show – Many thieves are purely opportunistic and breaking into homes may not be their usual day job. Which means they may be walking past your house one day and see something they like and they simply break in and take it. Ensure they cannot see the contents of your home by ensuring your windows are covered by blinds and curtains.
Avoid Unsolicited Help – A common scam criminals use is known as “impostor burglary” So a pair of scammers may turn up to your property offering a type of service such as painting, tree trimming or gardening etc etc. One may even lure you outside to discuss the trees for example, while the other one enters your home to steal something. The bottom line is if you didn’t call someone don’t let them in. And if you do call someone, always do your research.
Watch What You Throw Away – One way criminals identify who to target is to look out for big cardboard boxes for appliances or expensive electrical goods. If you do make a new purchase of expensive goods it’s a good idea to cut up the cardboard packaging and either bag it up till rubbish collection day or take it straight down to your local recycling center.
Keep Your Home In Tip Top Shape – Homes are much more likely to be broken into if they look unoccupied, so the lesson here is to ensure your home looks occupied. You can do this by keeping up to date on your property maintenance. Keep your grass cut and ensure you keep any shrubs or trees trimmed to eliminate any hiding space for a burglar.
We hope this guide provides you with all the necessary information needed to increase the security of your home and bring a little more peace of mind. Please like and share this post in order to spread the knowledge and together lets beat the burglar. ITCC Locksmiths offer a comprehensive range of both Residential and Commercial Locksmiths service if you ever need help increasing your security.
References and Sources
