Friday’s in November are the most common time for burglaries according to insurers. This means that it is vital to keep your home safe once the clocks go back and people go out on the rob.
People who have been burgled report how much it affected their mental health, bank balance, damage to their home and the amount of frustrating admin that they have to go through. From calling the police to making an insurance claim.
Burglary is increasingly a problem in the UK due to police cutbacks. Find out how much crime is in your area on the police website.
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Here are 7 ways to avoid getting burgled:
1.Internal locks
One thing that can help if you do get burgled is internal locks, it also helps to keep you safe as burglaries can occasionally get violent. It gives you time to alert the authorities and sometimes people will leave if they can’t get through.
If you do put in internal locks then make sure you have a way to escape if there is a fire, like windows. I have a lock on my hallway and office doors as there are still ways to escape fire even if they are locked. Lock any windows or doors of rooms that have a flat roof as burglars love to climb on them to break in.
2. Door chains
Putting a door chain on your external doors can buy you time if burglars gain entry to your house as they’re a pain to get through.
3. Install a safe
Burglars can rarely be bothered with a safe (unless you have a very expensive car that they want). This means its a great place to keep keys, cards, jewellery kindles and ipads. Ideally, keep it hidden or in a locked room.
4. Set up timer switches
Timer switches can be used for various appliances like lights if you’re going to be out one evening. If you have lights on both upstairs and downstairs then this is more of a deterrent as it looks like multiple people are in. Change the times around to keep it believable if you’re out often.
5. Install outdoor lights
Outdoor lights are my absolute number one recommendation, as burglars hate them. I have three around the sides of my house but you may need someone with a long ladder to install them. Just make sure they’re pointing downwards so that you don’t annoy your neighbours.
6. Install a pet-friendly burglar alarm
Pet-friendly burglar alarms are great, as they won’t go off when your cats are walking around which is a right pain. House alarms have come a long way and they’re so much easier to set up than ever before. If a burglar can see one, its massively offputting and great for alerting the whole neighbourhood to their presence!
7. Install CCTV with an app
I love being able to see what is going on in my garden on my phone wherever I go as its surprisingly useful. The best thing about having Wi-Fi enabled cameras is that burglars can see the lights blinking inside and it really puts them off. They’re very unpopular as even if they’re stolen, then they’ve still captured that person on camera.
One or all of these things can reduce the risk that your house will be targeted this winter. You can also join or create a Neighbourhood Watch scheme if police resources are stretched in your area.
If you’re going away for a few weeks and your house will be empty or you have pets that need looking after, then consider using a housesitter. Trusted housesitters that will look after your property can be found by clicking on the link below.
Do you have any tips to deter burglars that you would like to share? Let me know in the comments below!
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