In 2019, 2 in 100 households were the victim of a burglary in the UK. A huge figure which is up to the amount of damage and stolen objects: more than thousands of pounds per burglary. Add to that the psychological harm, which is not negligible. Fortunately, there are many ways to secure your home and make your property more secure. There is no need to turn your home into a bunker to ward off most of the break-in attempts it may experience. There are some simple methods to implement without taking a toll on your wallet.
Protect access points in your home
In almost half of the cases, the front door is the main target of burglars. In addition to the use of specialized equipment, a few simple measures can deter thieves from entering your home during your absence.
Windows
Windows are among the preferred targets of intruders. When you are away, don’t forget to lock them. The installation of burglar-resistant windows with reinforced locks is also to be expected, especially if you live in an isolated area. A single window can be forced in less than 10 seconds by experienced burglars. These accesses should be made as secure as possible, regardless of their location (floor, cellar, and roof). Steel bars sealed on the wall are a good solution to prevent access to your windows. Do not hesitate to invest in metal shutters.
Gate and fence
It may seem contradictory, but camouflaging your house behind high walls and a gigantic portal will only help burglars. In fact, intruders will be able to hide more easily from the eyes of neighbours or from possible police patrols. Does this mean leaving aside external protection? Not at all, you can opt for a high fence – more than 2m – with thick metal rods. Choose a model with tightened stems to reduce the risk of climbing.
In the same manner, favour a steel gate rather than PVC. Opt for a reinforced multi-point lock. Reinforcing access to your garden can thus put off less experienced burglars.
Alarms for daily protection against theft
Securing access to your home is the first line of defence against intrusion. But adding a surveillance system can make a big difference in intimidating even the most daring burglars. The price of an alarm system will depend on the installations, but you can adapt it to your needs. Here are the different elements that you can put in place.
Indoor / outdoor sirens
The alarm siren has several functions. It will surprise burglars and disrupt their work and alert the neighbourhood that an intrusion is underway. For that, it has to be powerful enough. The ideal is to privilege a model equipped with a luminous flash to hinder the intruders and add an additional external siren for the vicinity. Smart Alarm cameras are equipped with a 90 dB siren.
Surveillance cameras
There are two main types of cameras: wired models and “IP” wireless counterparts. If a wired camera requires more complicated mounting, this type of device has the advantage of not being able to be scrambled. Indeed, IP cameras operate via
Wi-Fi and their video signal can easily be interrupted by intruders.
There are many models of cameras on the market. Some can follow movements; others have a built-in siren. In absolute terms, we recommend that you opt for a high definition model with infrared sensors for filming at night. It is also ideally necessary to detect movements in order to receive an alert via smartphone in the case of an intrusion.
Remote monitoring
Another solution for your alarm system is to use a remote monitoring company. The surveillance system will then be linked remotely to the company’s security services. Its agents will be able to manage any intrusions on your behalf. The remote is ideal for alerts to be managed by a specialised centre.