How to Secure Your Home
Securing your home is essential in today's climate, long gone are the days where you could leave your front door unlocked as you went to the local shops. There is a much greater need than in the past to protect your home and possessions from prying eyes and burglars. This is not just a sign of the times, more that we spend a considerable amount on money on items such as LCD televisions, Laptops and jewellery. Having such valuable in the home is attractive to burglars and has led to the current crime levels within the UK.
Protecting your home is something that must be taken very seriously and can be done relatively cheaply. Below are the main ways to protect your home and protect your family.
Doors and Windows
Ensuring your doors and windows are secured is the most important aspect in securing your home, it is no surprise that the main way for a burglar to enter your home is through an open window or a door that is poorly secured.
Ideally windows should be in UPVC, this has the added bonus of being thermally efficient, however from a security point of view the glass is tough and the windows are equipped with comprehensive locks which fit tightly to the windows. If you live in a property which does not benefit from UPVC, your options are to either upgrade or to add locks to your existing windows. Adding locks can be relatively cheap, from as little as £5 per window.
Having a good locking mechanism to your door is essential, UPVC doors should have multi point locking mechanisms incorporated and ideally be approved as being 'Secure by Design' this means they have undergone stringent check to ensure the doors are robust and not easily accessible through force. If you have wooden doors they can be just as secure as UPVC, always go for a 5 lever lock, adding bolts to the top and bottom of the doors will also give the extra protection which should deter a burglar.
Add a spy hole to the door so that you can see who is at the door before you answer it, also add a chain if possible, this should only be used to check someone's identification. If ever you need to check the identification simply telephone the company in question and ask if the caller is legitimate, if in doubt don't allow them into your home.
Burglar Alarm
Whilst many people think the burglar alarm can be more of a hindrance than a help, you would be surprised at how many people would be deterred by the sound of an alarm ringing in their ears, what's more neighbours will be alerted to the siren and these combined will ultimately assist in securing your home. Just make sure your alarm is fully functional as an alarm that is triggered 2 or 3 times a week will provide little in the way of neighbour support, however if the alarm only sounds once a year it will alert attention.
Lighting
An often overlooked security measure is the introduction of lighting to the front and rear of the property, ideally lighting which is motion activated will not only alert any would be burglar but should also alert yourself and neighbours.
Within the property, if you are to be away from your home for a period of time, adding a light onto a timer can be a great way for your home to looked lived in, these unity can be purchased for as little as £3 and are an excellent deterrent.
Outside
Outside of your property can be made into a deterrent and make a burglar move on without bothering your home. By installing a good security gate to your home combined with items such as a hedge etc can make entering your garden difficult, ultimately for a burglar to leave your garden with your valuables will be even more difficult.
There are a range of measures you can take, also to be aware will be your best deterrent, for example don't leave keys in the backs of your doors, never leave downstairs windows open overnight and never invite someone you don't know into your home without verifying who they are first.