Written by Sophie Mills
Being burgled can be a very upsetting and traumatic experience to you and your family. The house you once regarded as your ‘safe haven’ no longer feels the same. The anxiety a break-in causes can last for some time and homeowners can often feel nervous about a potential return visit from the burglar.
It’s very important to minimise the risk of your home being burgled. We don’t want to let potential thieves get their ‘hands’ on our hard earned possessions by allowing them easy access to your property. We need to implement measures that stop our homes being an easy target and can deter would-be thieves as much as possible.
Your security is our biggest concern, we want our customers’ to feel safe in their own homes. Here at Automatic Alarms, our goal is to put measures in place to give our customers’ the utmost protection. So, we have put together our 5 top tips in an effort to minimise the risk of burglary:
1. Intruder Proof Hedges
You may not think so but hedges can help to keep your property more secure. Creating a physical barrier around your home with thick, dense hedges is a major deterrent for burglars. Anything that is a nuisance or acts as an obstacle will make them more averse to stealing from you. Prickly, thorny plants, such as gorse or blackthorn are the best types to go for.
However, our advice would be to not let the hedges grow too big, ideally no higher than 2 metres. As an overgrown garden can offer thieves shelter and gives them a chance to conceal themselves. Additionally, poorly maintained hedges can give an impression of a general lack of security.
2. Security Gates
Not only do gates enhance the security of your property, they also help to make your home more private. A tall, steel gate is enough to deter some thieves. With automated gates, you can control your gate with the touch of a button, which gives you total autonomy of who enters and exits your property. In addition, you can be rest assured that any young children or animals playing outside are safe and secure.
3. A Visible Alarm
One of the first things we think of when it comes to security is an intruder alarm, it is often the first line of defense and is the cornerstone of any home security system. An intruder alarm acts as a highly visible deterrent to inform potential thieves that your property is protected and reduces the chance of them breaking-in. For even greater protection, homeowners can opt for illuminated versions to increase visibility during darkness.
Should someone attempt to enter your property through a window or door, the system will emit an alarm siren which will potentially force the burglar to flee the scene.
You can also control your system via a specialist mobile app which will enable you to arm and disarm your alarm from anywhere at any time. The app will also send you event notifications if you alarm is triggered whereby you can contact the monitoring station or alert your neighbours.
4. Security Cameras
From a survey of former burglars conducted by Co-op Insurance, the biggest deterrent for thieves is a home security camera. This is because a security camera makes them more likely to be identified by the police. While security cameras work as a great deterrent, it can also be used as a method of investigation and for evidence gathering. By installing security cameras, it indicates that you take extra preventative measures to protect your home.
You can keep ‘an eye’ on your home from anywhere by monitoring your cameras remotely via an app and can alert the police immediately if you detect a threat or break-in. Criminals are said to be aware of this so they tend to avoid homes that have security cameras.
5. Outdoor Security Lighting
With most burglaries taking place during the hours of darkness, lighting up the perimeters of your home after the sun sets is an great way to secure your home. Obviously thieves do not want to be seen so they will avoid well-lit places as outdoor lighting gives them no place to hide. LED motion-sensor lighting in particular is an effective deterrent against burglars.
From intruder alarms and CCTV surveillance to security gates and outdoor lighting, we can put together the perfect home security system to suit your specific needs.
If you have any questions about any of the above tips or would like any further advice then please give us a call on 01204 393883.
