Cost Effective Ways to Deter Burglars

Securing your home and safeguarding your family doesn't have to be costly. There are some simple rules you can follow to deter those who may otherwise be tempted to break in, damage and steal from your property.

It’s a well-known fact that would-be thieves will avoid properties with monitored alarms and CCTV systems but if you can’t afford the latest in home security, don’t worry as we have some great cost effective alternatives for you:

Keep the lights on – this is one of the principal theft deterrents as the presence of a light in a room usually signifies that someone is home. By keeping the lights on whilst you’re not at home or setting a lamp on a timer, you can continue to give the impression from the outside that there is somebody in.

Install motion sensors – darkness is a great friend to the burglar, delivering the ability to sneak up on a property unnoticed.  By installing motion sensor lights on the exterior of your property, particularly at key access points such as the front door, back door or garage, you can take this ally away from would-be thieves and put off a potential burglary.

Leave the radio on – running a radio is extremely cost effective but could make all the difference when a potential burglar approaches your home.  Sound coming from within a building is a pretty good indicator that there are people present and could be all that is needed to prevent forced entry.

Have a gravel driveway – whilst having a new driveway isn't necessarily cost effective, if the exterior approach to your home is in need of a makeover it is worth noting that in general burglars will avoid anything that draws attention to themselves, such as the noise made by treading on a gravel driveway.

Hang net curtains – they might have gone out of fashion decades ago, but having net curtains or blinds at the window may help to deter a burglar as it will obscure their view of the room inside and prevents them from being certain there is nobody home.

Lock your doors and windows – it goes without saying that you need to secure your locks and windows both when you are away from home and when you go to sleep at night.  An open window or an unlocked door is a burglar’s dream, particularly if you have no alarm or security lights to alert the occupants or neighbours.  If you want additional security and peace of mind then you can opt for high security locks such as anti-snap locks, which will help prevent lock snapping, bumping, picking or drilling. These locks are suitable for both domestic and commercial properties and are recommended by the police.  Not only will these locks help prevent forced entry but they may act as a very effective deterrent to would-be thieves, most of whom will not even attempt to tackle this kind of lock.

We hope you have found these top tips useful and can put them into practice to stay safe and secure in your property.