At this time of year, many of us will be reflecting on the last 12 months, and perhaps making some resolutions to improve our lives in 2023. Most common good habits to get into include eating more healthily, taking more exercise, and maybe reading more or learning a new skill. These are all great ambitions, but few of us might think about out home security.
However, this is one area where a few simple resolutions can go a long way. A domestic burglary is a distressing and costly experience, and often it can be prevented by taking extra precautions. Here are some easy changes to make for 2023.
- Rethink your spare key location
You may think that you have a unique hiding place for your spare key, but seasoned burglars are experts at finding them. This is because it’s one of the easiest and most discreet ways of illegally entering a house. Even if you think that your hiding place is unfindable, you are still running a risk. Consider leaving a spare key with a trusted neighbour or friend instead.
- Keep tools and ladders locked away
Burglars often use tools or ladders which are kept at the premises to carry out a break-in. This is easier for them because they will try to avoid carrying anything incriminating with them such as garden spades, mallets, and so on.
If you don’t already have padlocks on your shed and garage, install them and ensure all tools and ladders are locked away when not in use.
- Shred any correspondence with your contact details on
Professional burglars plan break-ins well in advance. They may scope out your property for several days to decide the best way of breaking in. One method is to go through your rubbish and recycling bins to find details of your name, phone number, and social media accounts.
The burglar may conduct an online search to find your landline number, and call you in advance to check if anyone is at home. They may also stalk your social media to see if you are away on a holiday or business trip.
- Don’t post holiday pics online
Following on from the last point, it’s always best policy to wait until you return from holiday to post any pictures online. Announcing on a public Facebook account that you are off to Florida for a couple of weeks could be playing into the hands of a potential thief.
- Set timers to turn on lights and TV
If you are going away, a good tip is to set a timer to turn on your lights and TV for a few hours each evening. This is a major deterrent to most thieves.
- Ask a neighbour to park on your drive
Opportunistic burglars tend to avoid a property with obvious signs that it is occupied, such as a car on the drive. Therefore asking a neighbour to park on your driveway while you are away can be helpful.
Burglars are also strongly deterred by visible alarms and CCTV cameras. If you are interested in installing a global security alarm system, please contact our team today.
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