Winter Home Security Advice

Tips and Tricks to Keep your Property Safe from Criminals & Trespassers

Each householder has his own attitude to home security and may consider different levels for the variety of situations which feature in his day to day routines. When leaving the house for brief trips to collect the children from school or going for a quick shopping trip most people will of course ensure their doors are locked securely. At night closing windows and patio doors as well as front and rear doors is a basic precaution most of us carry out automatically.

However when the house will be empty for a longer period such as holidays or business trips extra attention needs to be taken and it is crucial that even with the pressure of travel deadlines, traffic considerations and the myriad of things on our minds home security must be placed as a high priority. An empty home can be an invitation to a burglar who might feel he has more time to remain in your home if he knows a returning householder isn’t likely to disturb him.

Security Precautions Check list

If possible advise someone you are going to be away. Ideally either neighbours, friends or a family member. If they keep an eye out for unusual signs or pop round to check on things then you can probably do the same for them when they are away.

Cancel any deliveries such as milk and papers as uncollected items are a dead giveaway the house is unoccupied.

Patio doors, conservatories and French windows can be a weak point where security is concerned as the locks are not always of the highest quality. High quality roller shutters with solid locks are an excellent way to deter the opportunist burglar. If you have locks on windows make sure these are used on a regular basis so it becomes second nature to you.

Timers on a few interior lights give the illusion that the house is not empty after dark. These can be strategically placed so they are not easily seen from outside and can often be programmed to come on and off at pre selected or random times.

Passive lighting outside your home is very useful as a deterrent and if solar powered will come on even without a mains power supply. There is a wide range of lighting for all situations which will ensure you don’t have any dark spots for someone to take advantage of. These can be on timers or passive with a mixture probably being the best option.

Rear entrances need to be locked with a padlock if possible as a burglar can use that entrance in many properties without drawing attention. Don’t just put a bolt on as someone could easily reach over and be on your property in a flash.

Garages and sheds often contain valuable items so make sure your garage doors have secure locks and don’t forget to use them! If the door has seen better days it may be better to install replacement high security sectional garage doors or roller garage doors.

Walk round the exterior of your home and look at it with the eyes of a possible burglar. Do you have unsecured items such as ladders, stools, benches or other furniture that would make a good stepping stone.

Are there any flat roofs or pipes they could use to climb on? If so there is now a huge range of home security alarms and systems ranging from a fully integrated system connected to a security company to DIY schemes you can put together yourself.

Lastly try to keep temptation out of the way from the casual observer . Many burglaries are down to opportunism with burglars looking for easy targets. A brightly lit Christmas tree surrounded by gifts makes perfect pickings so draw curtains or blinds when it goes dark.

Even when you are in the house lock your doors to make sure sneak thieves don’t get away with your valuables whilst you are in another part of the house or garden. Better to be safe than sorry.