Ensure your home is secure
Don’t advertise expensive possessions
Summer can be a time when many make new purchases for their homes and families. Although deliveries can be hard to hide from anyone who may be watching your property, there are ways that you can reduce the likelihood of individuals being aware of your purchases. Fold packaging down (ideally inside out) to fit in your recycling bin, take it to your nearest recycling centre, or only put it out right before it’s due to be collected.
Leaving packaging and valuable items in obvious places in and around you house signals to burglars that you’ve got something worth breaking in for!
Read more: What do burglars look for?
Add deadbolts to exterior doors
During the summer seasons we often spend less time in our homes. Because of this our homes can be more susceptible to burglars or vandals. Intruders will often try to break in by picking or snapping the locks on your outer doors. Although anti-snap locks can prevent this from happening, it’s also wise to add a deadbolt to your doors as they cannot be interfered with from the outside, making it more difficult for intruders to get through.
Keep your windows and doors shut and locked
As the warm weather rolls in it can be tempting to leave windows and doors open to let the breeze in. Although this may be beneficial at the time it can be easy to forget to close and lock them once you leave the room or house.
It is important to remember to always check your doors and windows before you leave your home as open windows will make it easier for burglars to target your house and may void your insurance if your home is burglarised in this way.
Don’t advertise your holiday
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. Simple safety measures, such as asking your neighbours for support while you are away- including checking on your home, parking on your drive or putting your bins out- will reduce the likelihood of burglars knowing you are gone and targeting your 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.
Secure your belongings
If you are planning on taking a holiday over the summer season it is likely you will have more valuables in your home than normal. Fitting a quality house safe for cash, jewellery, passports, and documents will help keep your belongings secure and out of reach for burglars. Certain safes can also keep key holiday items, such as passports and money, secure from accidental damage by fire or flooding.
Read more: Top 5 things to know before you buy a safe
Is your home secure? Find out with our home security top tips.
Ensure your garden is secure
Lock side gates
During the summer months we often spend more time in our gardens, and it can be easy to forget to lock the entrances in and out of your garden between uses. It is important to keep any gates leading to your garden locked at all times. Unlocked gates provide intruders with easy access to your garden in places that are often left unseen by neighbours.
Ensuring you lock your gates from the inside using a good quality padlock will make it more difficult for intruders to break in. It is also beneficial to teach any kids living in or visiting your property how important it is to keep gates locked.
Keep garden boundaries high
While we advise keeping fences and shrubbery low at the front of your property, this is not the case for the back. When it comes to the back garden you want these to be as high as possible to stop potential thieves from seeing what’s in your garden. This will make it more difficult for any intruders trying to break in.
If you don’t have any shrubbery in your back garden, you can do the same with your fence. Making 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.
Do you work from a garden office? It is equally as important to secure your garden office space as it is to secure your home. So how do you secure your garden office?
Install security lights around your home and garden
Security lights will alert you to any motion outside your home that you’re not expecting. Security lights, much like security cameras, serve as a great way to deter and identify intruders. Installing lights in places where they will detect motion anywhere in your garden and around your home will ensure that intruders can’t hide in one spot.
Protect garden furniture
We know that not all valuables in your garden can be stored in a shed, such as furniture, water features and decorative plant pots, however there are still measures you can take to secure them. Mark all your valuables with your last name and postcode with a security pen will ensure they can be identified in the event they are stolen.
You should also consider anchoring larger items to the ground using chain locks and garden stakes. This will prevent anyone from being able to remove the items without authorisation and can act as a deterrent as burglars prefer easy targets.
Deterring burglars is great way to prevent theft or vandalism to your home. Read our top 7 ways to discourage burglars.
Is your garden secure? Are you looking for more ways to secure your garden this summer?
Your home is where you and your family should feel safest, however we often expose ourselves to more risks than we know. Summer should be a time when we can relax and celebrate with friends and family. No one wants this season to be ruined by vandalism or burglary to their home.
For more advice on securing your home or to upgrade your home security, visit our store or call our friendly team on 0115 9780141.
