Stop your home from getting broken into in 6 easy steps

Recently there have been burglaries in our neighbourhood. It has got me worried as I do not want to have my home broken into. It is so important that you make changes to your home, to help you feel safe. Small gestures in this post can be preventatives or help after the fact. We have security cameras and curtains, but I had never thought about a broom being an issue.

Go with Two Locks

The first thing you need to do is make sure that you have two locks. Opportunists will often look at a row of houses, and if yours only has a single lock then you are an easy target. If you have been broken into already then you need to contact a locksmith, as they will be able to provide you with a new lock right away. You can get some locks that only open with a key fob, which is a good way for you to protect yourself against future burglaries. If you want to help yourself here, then have a chat with some locksmiths, so you can be advised on the latest models that are on the market.

Don’t Display a Dog Sticker

You may think that by having a sticker that says “Beware of the Dog”, you are protecting your home. This is not always the case. Burglars often target properties like this, because it usually means that the home does not have a house alarm. On top of this, displaying that you have pets will often give the burglar an idea as to whether or not there is a cat flap that they can access, so be mindful of this. Dogs can also be coaxed round with something as simple as sandwich meat, so make sure that you don’t advertise your pet as being a defensive measure.

Invest in Curtains

Curtains are so important. If a burglar can see into the living room then this gives them an indication of what is in the room and the type of people who live there. This is especially the case around the festive season. You need to make sure that you don’t advertise what you have and that you also don’t put any empty boxes outside when you’re done with them. If you put an empty television box outside then this advertises the fact that you have just bought one, which is the last thing you need.

Hide Mops and Brooms

You might not think that your mop or broom is a threat to your home’s safety, but it can be. Once a burglar has gained entry to a property from the back, they will usually place a broom or a mop against the front door so that when they are searching they can hear you enter the home. A burglar usually only takes two minutes to raid a property.  Another thing that burglars often do is they drop the catch on the front door, so that you cannot fit your key properly. Keep anything with a long handle out of sight, and make it hard for burglars to do this. You also need to keep your keys away from the front door, as burglars can hook them to gain entry to your home.

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Take Photos of Every Room

If you are worried about being burgled then it’s a very good idea for you to photo and document everything that you have lying around. Logging your important items as you go is always a good thing to do, as this is a very useful way for you to gain all of the information you need on the items around your home. It may also benefit you if you need to make an insurance claim. Of course during a robbery, criminals will often trash your home. This is often because they want to grab stuff and run.  This can leave you confused and you may not even know what is missing. Having photographs of your rooms will help you to find out what has gone, so you can tell the insurance company what has gone missing.

Get CCTV

Having CCTV is a major deterrent for criminals. If you want to make sure that you protect your home then it can also give you evidence of who has broken into your home and when. You can pass the footage on to the police and you can also see what items have been taken. If you can invest in CCTV then this will also stop criminals from seeing your home as a potential target, which is a major bonus if you live in an area that is seen as being high-risk, or if you are concerned about neighbourhood burglaries.