Even if you live in what you consider a “safe” neighbourhood, you should still take meticulous precautions against the potential threat of burglars. That’s because, as you will soon see from reading this article, complacency about how big a threat burglars really pose to your house could actually play a part in encouraging a burglary. Here are some quick tips…

Don’t leave keys within easy reach of burglars

Of course, what we more specifically mean here is that you shouldn’t leave those keys too close to doors, letterboxes or windows. That’s a tip provided by Kate Whiting in an article on the BT website; however, writing for The Telegraph, an ex-thief suggests going a step further…

They suggest enclosing your letterbox in a cage attached to the inside. This can be good for countering burglars’ standard practice of extending a long stick through the letterbox to “fish” keys from a location close to the door. Remember that, if burglars snatch your keys, they could not only break into the residence but also steal your car and other possessions.

Make sure that your doors and windows are secure

We’re not simply suggesting that you should close and lock all of those doors and windows whenever you are about to go out – though that is, of course, something you should do. You should also make sure that the doors and windows come with good security features that you make use of.

If, for example, your door handles are multi-locking, then you should, with each handle, remember to lift it before locking it with your key, which you then remove. “LIFT, LOCK, REMOVE” – that’s a good mantra to recite for continuing to remember the correct procedure for locking those handles.

If you are concerned that the security features of your current doors seem a little too lax, you could purchase new doors. We recommend purchasing bi-fold doors from a company such as Bifold Shop. These doors come with thick, toughened glazing and, on the folding variety, shoot-bolt locks for stringent security.

Create the illusion that your empty home is occupied

You might already regularly follow the practice of leaving lights on when leaving the house – simply because, to the outside world, it gives the appearance that the building remains occupied. However, even better than this would be using timer switches linked to your home’s lights. That way, you could arrange for particular lights to switch on and off at specific times.

We can’t imagine someone being keen to break into a property if, just as they are about to do so, they notice a light switching on in the downstairs living room or even upstairs bedroom.

Keep valuables and sentimental items in a safe

You could then securely attach that safe to a solid surface. This is good for ensuring that, even if a burglar does get into your home while no members of the household are there, that burglar shouldn’t be able to steal those particular items, which could include treasured photos or jewellery.