Burglar Proofing Your Home

Its great to get away from it all for a week or even two, a vacation to relax and recharge your batteries and to spend some quality time with the family, not a care in the world, nothing to worry about and everything is all right with the world.

On your return home you discover that your home has been broken into, the house has been ransacked and your belongings are scattered all over the place, your jewellery, your TV, and your PC are all long gone and the burglars have made a nice little profit selling them on to a fence.

To make matters worse your car was also stolen during the burglary and used to carry away all of your belongings.

These smart thieves also up to date on the latest information and have stolen your identity and personal details they are using your name to defraud credit card companies landing you in a real financial mess.

Your relaxing vacation seems so far away and you have only been home for five minutes.

Protecting your home these days before you go away is a main priority, if a family member or a trusted friend cannot stay in your home whilst you are away then there are some things that you can do to prevent and deter any would be burglar.

Burglars look for an easy target, they want to be in and out of the home in minutes, the more difficult that we make it for them to get in the more chance they will give up and go somewhere else.

Door and Window Locks

Most burglars gain entry to the targeted house via the front or back door, installing a good lock on all outside doors and windows is essential a five lever deadlock, you should also make sure that you fit locks on all downstairs windows and on upstairs windows that have drainpipes near them. if you have a ground floor home extension fit locks on all windows above as they are easily accessible.

Alarms and Cameras

Installing an alarm system to your home or even a CCTV camera system can prove to be very expensive, especially if they are directly connected to a private security company, not only are they expensive to install but there is an annual fee to the security company involved.

A cheaper alternative and just as effective is to install a fake alarm box on to your home High up where it can be seen clearly by everyone, these have a flashing light on them to make them look active. Fake cameras can also be installed to make it look like your house is being monitored.

External Lighting

Another good deterrent to any would be burglar is external lighting that comes on automatically when anyone approaches; motion sensor lighting is usually pretty cheap and easy to install. And when breaking entry into a house a burglar does not really want to be in the spotlight.

A burglar will not enter a premises if they think that they may be disturbed by the people living there, therefore it is also important to make it look like there is some one at home whilst you are away, there are many things that you can do to make your home look lived in that will help to deter the burglar from even going near your home.

Closed curtains or window blinds are a sure sign that no one is home, you would just as well put up a sign in your garden in 4ft high lettering, "We are on Vacation the house is empty", get a trusted neighbour or relative to open your curtains or blinds in the morning and close them again in the evening as it is starting to get dark.

Do not leave any windows opened.

Lights

Leaving the lights on 24/7 is also an invitation to burglars, if you don't have a person that you trust you should invest in an electronic timer switch that will turn your lights on and off at pre-set times every evening.

Mail, News Papers and milk

When going away for a vacation remember to cancel your daily deliveries, such as your newspapers or milk, if either of these items start to build up in your garden it is another sure sign that nobody is there, ask a friend or relative to collect your mail if you have a mail box outside of your home or if you have a letterbox on your front door ask them to make sure that the letters are pushed in properly and not sticking out for all to see.

Radio

Leave the radio turned on and tuned into a talk radio station, keep the volume to your normal voice levels to make it sound that you are at home and having a conversation, this can also deter would be burglars by fooling them into believing that you are at home.

Cut The Lawn

Before you leave for your vacation it is a good idea to cut your grass, long grass is another sign that no one is there, especially if you normally cut your grass on a regular basis.

Out Buildings

If you have a garden shed or even a garage that is not attached to your home, take the same secure precautions, especially if you have power tools, bikes lawnmowers or other valuable equipment there.

Your Car

Burglars look for an extended absence of a car, if you take your car with you when you go away ask a neighbour or friend to use your driveway whilst you are gone.

Invest in a Safe

As stated earlier identity fraud is on the rise these days, so before you go anywhere it is a good idea to invest in a safe, you can keep personal papers spare keys, car keys, jewellery and any other valuables that you may have safely stowed away.

Now you can enjoy your vacation without worrying about what is happening at home.