Nobody wants to be the victim of a burglary – and yet many of us willingly advertise our homes to burglars. By taking steps to make your home less appealing to thieves, you can reduce the chance of being selected as a target. Here are just a few of the things that burglars tend to look for when choosing their victims.
Visibly fragile doors/windows
Burglars firstly like to look for an easy point of entry. Old or damaged windows and doors can often be easy to break into and should be replaced. Most modern steel and timber doors are very secure and have much stronger locks than older doors. As for windows, you should consider aluminum or UPVC casement windows with inside locks. Deadbolts and burglar alarms can provide extra security. You can even add reinforced glass to windows and sliding doors.
Valuables on display
If your valuables are visible to neighbors and passers-by, it could make your home a temptation to burglars. Take steps to hide your valuables. This could include locking valuable garden tools in a shed or drawing the curtains so that people can’t peek into your living room. Net curtains are a popular option that allows light in while offering privacy – but they’re not the only option. What can I put on windows besides curtains? Blind, shutters and shades could be other options. You can even look into frosted or tinted glass (although this could stop you looking out).
No exterior lighting
A lack of exterior lighting could make it easier for burglars to break into your home undetected at night without having to worry about being seen by neighbors. There are many different types of exterior lighting that you can look into installing. Motion sensing lights are popular because they don’t have to be on all night – by only lighting up when motion is detected, you can conserve energy and still ward off criminals.
High walls/hedges
A high wall or a high hedge placed in front of your home could help to offer privacy, but it could also make it easier for burglars to break into the front of your home undetected. A high wall or edge can act as a barrier to hide behind while breaking in. Considering lowering any front hedges or walls so that the front of your home is still visible.
Revealing social media updates
It’s important to also watch what you put on social media. Posting up live photos and updates of your vacation could tell burglars that you’re not home. If you’ve also shared information about your address on your wall, you could end up giving burglars everything they need. Of course, you can stop crooks from viewing this information by setting your social media account details to private so that only your most trusted friends can see your posts. You should also never accept friend requests from people that you don’t know – some of these people could be thieves in disguise.
