Aug 21, 2018

According to the 2015 Crime Survey, there were nearly 200,000 domestic burglaries. 

With 27 million households in the UK, that's approximately 1 in every 135 homes. The probability of a burglary may be higher than you think. The good news is that burglaries are largely opportunistic. Rarely are homes specifically targeted. 

As a result, there are specific steps you can take to keep the burglars out. 

Here are some top tips: 

1. Stop the window shopping
If you know what catches a burglar's eye, you can take steps to remove the temptations. This handy list from the AA details the 15 most stolen items. 

• Jewellery or watches - 43%
• Purse, wallet or money - 38%
• Computer or computer equipment - 34%
• Electrical goods or cameras** - 19%
• Mobile phones - 13%
• Other - 10%
• Clothes - 9%
• Food, toiletries or cigarettes - 8%
• Handbag, briefcase or shopping bag - 8%
• Household items of furniture - 6%
• Documents - 5%
• Vehicle or vehicle parts - 5%
• House keys - 5%
• Car keys - 4%
• Garden furniture - 4%

Many of these won't surprise you. In fact, these items can be found in most homes. The question is; are you advertising yours to opportunistic criminals? A little extra precaution can make it all the harder for a criminal to get away with your favourite things - should the worst happen. 

It's worth being mindful of what you have on show. For example: 

• Where do you store your watches and jewellery?
• Do you put them someplace else when you're on holiday?
• Are your car keys easy to grab by an open door?
• Do you have a spare house key hidden outside?
• Is your personal documentation easy to grab?
• Do you have money lying around?

Take a few moments to do a mental check through your home and identify and what you can do to boost your security. 

2. Take photos as proof
You rarely know how much something is worth until you don't have it any more. Items passed down through the generations may not be worth many £s, but they may be priceless for sentimental reasons. 

Other pieces may be unique. Other pieces may be worth a fortune! 

It's worth taking photos of all your precious items. It makes it much easier to describe your losses to the police or your insurers. Better still; take photos of you wearing items of jewellery and watches as proof that you do own them. 

3. Lock your doors and windows
It's scary how fast a burglar can be in and out of your home. It can take seconds to break open a door and if your possessions are visible and easy to grab, they can be gone before you even know there's a problem. 

If someone has their eyes on your home, that 20-minute nip to the shops is a window of opportunity. 

So don't make it easy for them. 

Instead, lock everything up. It could make all the difference to the situation that you return to find. 

4. Invest in an intruder alarm
All things equal, a burglar will find an unalarmed home more tempting than an alarmed home. 

There's a simple explanation... an alarm is going to make a noise and attract attention - and that increases the likelihood of a burglar being seen. 

It goes without saying that burglars don't want to get caught. Instead, they want to get in and out undetected. So make it harder on them and install a burglar alarm. 

With something as valuable as your home and your personal possessions, go the extra mile and have it professionally installed. It makes all the difference. You'll have the confidence of knowing it's been installed correctly. Perhaps most importantly you'll have the best possible coverage. There's an art to locating the motion sensors to minimise blind spots. 

As always, the team at Alert Alarms is here to help you beat the burglar. 

So if you're keen to boost your security, get in touch today. Advice is free and it's a super simple way to sleep easier at night knowing you've done all you can to protect what's yours. 

To book your home security visit with one of our experienced engineers, CLICK HERE.