OPENING the front door, back door and windows is a burglar’s dream. They would either break open the door or cut through the window and climb in, especially when no one is at home.
They would easily climb onto the roof and come through. While it is not easy to do this, a burglar motivated by poverty, boredom or peer pressure will do it.
To protect your home against the delinquent, firstly put away your valuables so that even if your home is burglarised, you won’t loose much.
The worst they could do is ransack your home to find valuable items. This could result in damage to the property, but still, the losses would be less than they taking away most of your valuables.
Secondly, make sure to call the newspaper or breadman to stop delivery until the time you come home. If you trust your neighbours, you can tell them you will be going away for a few days and to watch over your house and feed your dog if you have one.
Finally, check your doors and windows to make sure they are locked before you step out. If you want to re-enforce your house, invest in some good quality deadbolt locks and install grills. There are many types of security grills in the market that are well-designed and combine great looks with robust and durable designs. You can go for iron, cast iron, steel or aluminium grills.
Take it a step further by investing in home security cameras and be more alert when in the neighbourhood so that you can inform your neighbours to look out for suspicious characters.
If money is tight, install fake burglar alarms and security cameras outside. Hopefully, this would scare the thieves away.
Two former burglars shared their tips with DailyMail on how to protect your home from intruders.
The ex-criminals, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, revealed 10 steps that all homeowners can take to secure their property, especially before going for heading off on holiday.
1. TAKE PASSPORTS AND DRIVING LICENCES WITH YOU
Criminals can easily commit identity fraud with this information. It’s a modern-day crime that is less risky and growing in popularity. Be sure to take your key identity documents with you every time you go away on holiday, even if you don’t need them to travel.
2. USE A RECORDING OF A DOG BARKING
A dog’s bark will make thieves think twice about breaking in. They’ll think that someone else is in the house or that the dog will attract unwanted attention to them. Some home security companies offer alarms with these recordings built in.
3. INSTALL A DEADLOCK
The installation of a deadlock will make it a lot harder and time-consuming to pick a lock. In most cases, a burglar will move on when they realise they’re up against a deadlock.
4. DON’T POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Too many people freely put information about their schedules on social media, which helps burglars when it comes to figuring out when to steal from a property. Check your home insurance policy too as some may pay out less or not at all if you’ve published that you’re away on social media.
5. KEEP YOUR GARDEN IN TIP-TOP CONDITION
If the lawn is freshly mowed, then burglars will question whether a house is in fact vacant. It also gets rid of any potential hiding spots. Burglars will watch houses for a few days to see patterns of the occupants so it’s a good idea to hire a gardener to come around while you’re away.
6. INSTALL A BURGLAR ALARM OR USE A FAKE ONE
An alarm, even if it is just a convincing fake, might be enough to deter any burglars from even attempting to break into your home. If you’re put off by the cost, sometimes just the sight of one will put a thief off so you don’t necessarily need to fork out for a real one.
7. INSTALL CCTV
Like with burglar alarms, these don’t always need to be functioning. If a burglar is casing your home, they’ll likely avoid yours because of the increased risk of getting caught.
8. MAKE SURE KEYS ARE HIDDEN FROM SIGHT
If someone can see keys from your window they’re more likely to break in. Keys will also give intruders access to other areas of your home such as your garage and your car.
9. BUY MOTION ACTIVATED LIGHTS
These lights will come on when anyone comes near your property, making sure that burglars can’t break in without being seen. They might also be enough to attract the attention of neighbours if you are away.
10. PUT WD-40 ON YOUR WINDOW SILLS
An unconventional but effective way to get rid of thieves trying to get in your home. The WD40 will make it difficult for them to grip and use the window sill to climb into your home.
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