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Protecting your home against thieves and burglars

- tips for helping prevent your home being burgled and theft from your house.

It can be a really traumatic experience if you come home to find that your home has been burgled. It can feel as though our home has been violated, and this is on top of all the inconvenience of repairing the damage and replacing what has been lost.

There are many ways of reducing the risk of being burgled. Obviously burglar alarms is one possibility. These are effective, but can be costly. However there are many other ways in which the likelihood of being burled can be reduced.

Many of the precautions which can be taken to reduce the possibility of being burgled are quite simple - many of them are simple common sense, but we all need reminding sometimes.

Below are some simple tips that can help make your home less inviting for a burglar:

1. Don't make your home look empty:   If a house looks empty, then this is an invitation for burglars to take an interest in it. You can easily make it less obvious that you may not be in by leaving a light on if you are out for the evening. Drawing the curtains at night if you are out stops people looking in. If you are away for a few days, consider putting a light on a timer switch, and taking other similar precautions.



2. Ensure all entry points are locked and closed:   Obviously remember to lock all doors. But don't forget to close windows. Any windows that may allow access can be an invitation to any burglars. Even small windows can be sued to open larger ones and hence gain access.



3. Burglars don't like lights:   Burglars don't like areas that are well light because they can be seen. Automatically activated lights are good as the come on when people are moving around. However it is also possible to leave other exterior lights on at night.



4. Install an alarm:   The thought of installing an alarm may seem daunting, but burglars are less likely to tackle a home that has an alarm unless there is some really worth-while treasure they may be after.



5. Keep keys out of sight:   Even if you think a key may not be accessible, it is always best to keep keys out of sight as it is sometimes possible for burglars and thieves to get hold a key by some ingenious means. If they cannot see it they cannot get it.



6. Close all doors and windows when not in sight:   It is common in hot weather to leave doors and windows open. It is surprising how many people have had handbags, purses and keys stolen by opportunist thieves who only needed a moment to sneak in and remove an unguarded item. Close all doors and windows when they are not in sight.



7. Key car keys locked away:   If you do get burgled, you don't want to provide any more opportunity than necessary. Cars can provide a very easy item to steal if the thieves can get the keys. Often thieves break in to get car keys, so don't leave them in obvious places such as bedside cabinets or kitchen drawers.



8. Keep a dog:   Dogs provide a good defence against burglars and thieves. Even if you don't have one you could leave a few tell tale signs such as having a dog bowl outside, etc



9. Don't provide tools:   many burglars and thieves are opportunists. They can often use any tools that may be left around, so don't leave any tools or ladders outside that they may be able to use.

Not only will these tips help reduce the possibility of being burgled, but measures like installing an alarm may also reduce home insurance premiums. Realising that alarms make a real difference many insurance companies will reduce the cot of the insurance if an alarm is fitted.

However the main reason for taking these precautions is to ensure that no burglars ever come by. While it is not possible to guarantee this, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of being burgled.