Our homes are supposed to be our safe-havens, a place for us to escape the rest of the world, to relax and to store our personal possessions, but sadly, some people see our homes as an easy source of money. A burglary takes place every 106 seconds in the UK, and more than 181 million pounds worth of property is stolen from homes in London every year! The Office for National Statistics puts the average cost of a UK burglary at £3,030, a cost that very few people can afford. So if you’re worried about someone breaking into your home, then here are five ways that you can improve your home security.
- Upgrade your door
Believe it or not, a surprising number of burglaries begin at your front door. Criminals are very talented at assessing the security of your home, and if they find a weak spot, like your front door, then they will use it to access your property. Many people’s front doors are only made from a thin layer of plastic or wood and can be easily kicked in or knocked through. To increase your security, consider looking at security doors from places like Cerberus Doors.
- Lock your windows
An open window will always be an easy access point for a thief, but believe it or not, merely shutting your windows isn’t enough to keep people out. Shut windows can be prised open fairly easily if they are not locked, so be sure to remember to lock your windows when you close them. An easy way to remember to do this is to set an alarm on your phone.
- Install outdoor lighting
Most criminals like to operate under the cover of darkness, so take this opportunity away from them by installing sensor activated outdoor lighting. Position lighting at access points to your property such as the front door, the back door and the garage and make sure that it comes on when motion is detected.
- Invest in a monitored alarm system
Alarm systems work by scaring away criminals by producing a loud noise, but if you live in a rural area and the criminal is not worried about people responding to the sound, then there’s no reason for them to vacate your property. To ensure that someone does hear your alarm and does react to it, consider investing in a monitored alarm system. A monitored alarm system is manned by a team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and a response unit will be sent if the alarm is not switched off or a safety password is not given.
- Install a smart doorbell
Many criminals that are on the hunt during the day will knock at your front door before attempting a burglary to see if anyone is home – thankfully, the digital age can help. By installing a smart doorbell, you can see precisely who is at your door through an app on your smartphone, and some even allow you to speak with them through a microphone. This is often enough to put a criminal off making a burglary attempt, especially if they think that their face has been captured on camera.
These are just five simple ways that you can improve your home security. Have you ever been burgled before? What security measures did you put in place to prevent it from happening again?
