Going on holiday this summer? Make sure you have the proper security measures in place to prevent burglars and criminals from taking advantage of your empty property.
Don’t let your house appear vacant
If you are going to be away for a prolonged period, it is important not to draw attention to the fact that your home is going to be empty. An empty home means a burglar has more time to complete a robbery and get away.
Burglars often look for signs that the homeowners are on holiday e.g. a post on social media, mail left by the door, empty driveways, and no lights being turned on for a long time.
Do your best to not make it clear that you’re away:
- Don’t post about your holiday on social media – instead share with a few close friends and family
- Ask a neighbour to check for mail every day
- Get a house sitter to stay while you’re away
- Set a timer on your lights to give the impression that you’re home
Your neighbours are some of the best assets you can have when it comes to home security. We would highly recommend making the effort to introduce yourself to your neighbours. Find out why.
Use anti-snap locks
Cylinder snapping (or lock snapping) is a method used by burglars to break into properties with euro cylinder locks. It’s very common due to the lack of skills it requires for thieves to snap the lock. Many types of euro lock cylinders are prone to lock snapping and can be found on almost all domestic houses with UPVC doors, and a significant number of composite & aluminium doors.
Anti-snap locks are made of high-security euro lock cylinders. They are designed and tested to protect against lock snapping, stopping a thief from breaking the lock.
Learn more about anti-snap locks
Secure garden, sheds and garages
Most people know that they need to secure their homes when they go on holiday, but many often forget to secure gardens and outbuildings like sheds and garages. These areas give intruders additional entry points to your main home area and can often be hidden from neighbours. Sheds and garages can also give intruders access to tools that will make their break-in easier.
CCTV and security lights can help here, as well as putting high-quality locks and padlocks on your shed, garage and garden gates. Read more about how to secure your garden.
Keep garden boundaries high
While we advise keeping fences and shrubbery low at the front of your property, when it comes to the back garden you want these to be as high as possible – ideally over 6ft! A high fence stops potential thieves from seeing what’s in your garden and makes it more difficult for any intruders trying to break in.
Top tip: make the top of your fence sharp and spiky using trellises, fence panels or spiky plants to deter intruders.
Check the quality of your fence and outbuildings
If you have any gaps or rotting wood in your fence, shed or bike storage you should get it fixed as soon as you can. Weaknesses like these can be exploited by intruders looking to enter your home and garden.
Secure garden animals
Animals that you keep in the garden (e.g. fish or chickens) are attractive targets for thieves. Make sure you have secured them properly with chicken wire and hutch locks that will prevent them from being stolen easily.
Deter thieves with CCTV
It is believed that 67% of domestic burglaries could be prevented by CCTV as thieves are deterred by the possibility of getting caught on camera. There are a range of CCTV cameras on the market that offer different features for securing a home all year round. These features include Smart Infra-Red night vision, Remote viewing for iPhone or Android, and Digital recordings with smart search.
If you are hoping to purchase CCTV for the first time, there are several cost-effective systems you can install. For those wishing to upgrade their current CCTV, installing a backwards-compatible system means you don’t have to replace all your existing cameras at once. This offers a more cost-effective and easy-to-upgrade solution.
Install a burglar alarm
Burglar alarms are one of the most popular security measures to deter burglars. As well as discouraging burglars from breaking into the property, burglar alarms also effectively alert the owners to any break-ins. This means that even if an intruder enters your property, they may not be successful in stealing your possessions due to this internal security measure.
Don’t give intruders tools
Most burglars don’t carry bulky equipment around with them so they will actively look for things outside your house that they can use to assist their break-in. E.g. bins and ladders can be used to climb to higher floors with unlocked windows while tools and gardening equipment can help them break a lock or glass window pane.
Lock your tools away and anchor any furniture or bins to the ground to prevent burglars from being able to see and/or use these items to break into your home.
Hide your valuables
Burglars want to make the best use of their time so they will break into houses where they believe there is something worth stealing.
Make sure that your valuables aren’t visible from outside e.g. position your expensive TV away from the window and don’t leave your jewellery on the window-sill.
By installing a safe for your valuables burglars will be less likely to target your property due to the added time and skill needed to attempt to break into a safe. Safes are a great security option that come in a range of sizes, cash ratings and prices. Find the best safe to keep your valuables secure and prevent theft.
If you have lots of valuable items in your home it is worth investing in more advanced security measures including CCTV and video doorbells.
Burglaries can have a significant financial, emotional and mental impact on your family. Make sure your Summer holiday isn’t ruined by protecting your home from break-ins. Get in touch with our experienced team for advice on 0115 9780141 or pop into our shop.
