How To Reduce The Possibility Of Your Home Being Burgled
It’s going to be darker much earlier from the end of this month, once the clocks go back an hour, which will have thieves rubbing their hands in glee – to them, they will see it as a greater chance to break into people’s homes without being caught.
You need to be on your guard, and to do that, you must put a focus on making your home secure. If you don’t take it seriously enough, you could count the cost of your inaction.
This is a message also being stressed by the organisers of National Home Security Month, held as ever during the month of October.
So that you don’t become a thief’s next victim, stay one step ahead of them with these three home security tips:
Have a working burglar alarm put in
We find it astounding that only a third of UK homes have a burglar alarm. Upon discovering this, it doesn’t shock us in the slightest that a burglary takes place in this country every 106 seconds.
The average burglary costs £3,000, so it’s an absolute no-brainer to get a bells-only alarm, silent alarm, wireless alarm or dialler alarm installed for just £200+.
These alarm systems will alert you the very second that they sense an attack on your home.
Forget about trying to trick a thief with a dummy alarm – they won’t be silly enough to fall for it.
Never leave out a spare key
You wouldn’t dream of handing a house key to a total stranger, but you will potentially be doing that when leaving out a spare key under an outdoor doormat or plant pot. A thief will look in such places and won’t believe their luck.
If you expect to get anything from your home insurer if your home is burgled for this reason, think again!
Just get spare keys cut for anyone who might need them and who you trust.
You should also remove any keys on an inside lock, as you never know who could reach in and swipe them.
Get secure windows and doors installed
It seems like we’re stating the obvious, but it’s useful to be reminded that your windows and doors will be the first target for a thief.
Put them all in a locked position and see if they demonstrate any give when you give them a firm push from outside. If they do, you need a more secure set of them.
Opt for double or single glazed replacement windows and doors with several secure fixings.
You would also be better off having internally glazed windows and doors as then the glass can’t be removed externally, a common trick that thieves use.
You won’t find a more trusted window and door specialist in the North East than Pennine Windows. We can quote you for them here.