How to burglar proof your home

When it comes to your family’s safety, making sure that you know how to make your home safe from break-ins is very important. We say this because we know that if you are burgled once, you will instantly be at risk of being burgled again. This also applies to your neighbours if they live in a similar-style house. Especially during the winter months when the days get darker a lot faster, crimes tend to rise, especially for those who don’t know how to protect their properties. 

To avoid this, we’ve put together five simple things that you can take as security measurements to have a safe and comfortable home at all times.

1. Level up your door security 

Doors that have weak and vulnerable areas such as where the deadbolt lock inserts into the doorjamb, are the main things that burglars will try to put their hands on. All they need to do is a well-placed kick that will break the strike plate, door frame, or even both. 

What you can do is to replace the screws that have been used when installing the strike plates. These are usually very short (only an inch long), so replacing them with longer screws will offer your door a lot more resistance against hits. Additionally, you can make your lock even more secure by reinforcing the strike plate (and the door’s frame if you wish) with hardware. You can find it at home centres at reasonable prices, and they are one of the best ways to burglar-proof your home fast and easy.

However, a good idea would be to evaluate the condition of your doors, so to get a good start, read our blog on 5 signs it’s time to change your front door. In case you’ve decided to do so, but you don’t know how to choose doors, we can help with that too!

2. Install smart locks

Smart locks allow you to open the door using either a keypad, finger scan, or you can even open your front door with your smart mobile device. This will significantly reduce the chances of you losing your keys. 

Additionally, we know that many people still opt for the old-fashioned key under the front door mat, but that is a place where a burglar will definitely look straight from the beginning. Replacing your existing locks with smart locks takes only a few minutes, and it doesn’t require any hardwiring or drilling. However, they are quite costly, especially those that can be smartphone-controlled, and the ones that record the date and time when codes are entered. 

3. Check your windows 

Even though it may seem obvious, closing and locking windows is still one of the main reasons why break-ins happen in the first place. Also, latches on windows aren’t always the most effective, depending on their manufacturer. One of the most efficient ways to burglar-proof your home is to improve the security of your window latches with locks or key-operated levers. 

If you want to go to the extra mile, you can even reinforce the glass with window security film, install window break sensors, add window bars, or even change all your windows. If you are not sure about your window’s condition, have a look at our article on signs your windows need replacing to find out!

4. Install security cameras inside and outside your home

Thanks to the advanced technology available, you can monitor your home when you are away easier than ever before. You can keep an eye on your home with webcams that feed live images inside your home to another computer or mobile device. They are very cheap, but you can go up in price with features like higher pixel quality, night vision and even noise-cancelling microphones. 

And when it comes to the outside of your house, you can install CCTV as they are perfectly legal. By installing cameras outside, you will be able to stay safe at home, and you don’t have to worry about putting up a sign that indicates you have video monitoring on your property (however, if you do put up signs, you might intimidate potential intruders, so it’s worth giving it a go). 

5. Install house smart alarms

Installing a burglar alarm is one of the most popular ways of securing your home. The highest-performing ones can even have a special feature, a motion sensor that can be attached to lighting around your house. This means that anytime someone approaches your house, lights can go on. 

There are many options to choose from, so browsing online is the best thing to do when trying to find the perfect house alarm. 

Other tips we have for you on how do you burglar-proof your home? Once you have all your doors and windows checked, all your gadgets installed and gear sorted out, we have some more practical advice, especially when for when going away: 

• Leave your lights on a timer to simulate that the house isn’t empty all the time
• Ask a relative or a friend to check your house from time to time
• Cancel all your mail deliveries
• Let your neighbours know that you are away, so they can inform you of any suspicious activity on your property whilst you are gone

And remember, in most burglaries, criminals break into homes mostly through the front door (either by forcing the lock or kicking it). Along with having a strong front door, making sure that you also have secure window locks will help you keep the burglars away!

Posted: January 13, 2021