Immerse yourself into the mind of a burglar as we take a look at ten simple changes you can make to your home that will deter thieves.
1. Visible door locks and window locks
The most common points of entry for burglars are front doors, back doors and ground floor windows. Put a visible lock on these potential ground floor entrances to deter burglars from using them. If it looks difficult to make a quick entrance into your home, the burglar will move on!
2. Motion activated lights
Many quick break ins occur during the dark. Motion activated lights will make you and everyone around you aware of when someone is close to your property – a burglar’s worst nightmare!
3. A small dog
A small family dog will usually bark loudly when someone gets even relatively near to the door. You may find this annoying, but you should thank your pooch as this is an incredible burglar deterrent.
4. Keep a tidy window area and garden
Believe it or not, burglars are attracted to messy houses. This is because a messy home is more likely to have valuables left lying around. An unkempt house also signals a careless home owner who might leave the door unlocked.
5. Install visible security cameras
For most burglars, being caught on camera is too great a risk. Having an obnoxiously visible security camera or two will deter any criminal activity.
6. Install two locks on your doors
Many thieves will attempt to enter your home by breaking a window and then reaching around to unlock the door. If you put two locks on the door, it makes this process more difficult. Doing this could demote a burglary down to an attempted burglary.
7. Grow thorny plants
Plant bushes with prickles and thorns in front of windows and fences. This tip works especially well if your back garden is vulnerable to thieves climbing over the fence.
8. Use a ‘beware of the dog’ sign
A simple ‘beware of the dog’ sign at your front and back door will deter opportunist burglars from trying to enter your home. Most burglars will determine that entering a home with a potentially aggressive dog inside is too much of a risk.
9. Spray window sills with WD-40
If you’re going to be away from your home, spray window handles and surfaces around your ground floor with WD-40, generously. The substance will make these surfaces slippy to stand on and difficult to grip quickly.
10. Vary your routine
Try to avoid engaging in habits that let people know when you have left your home for the day. Vary the times you open and draw your curtains, take in your post and turn out your lights.
