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Securing your home
against thieves and
burglars: tips and
advice
Here are some home security tips, which need cost very little except
your time.
By following these simple steps you can make your home a safer place
for you and your family.
Check that all the windows and doors are in good condition. That
they close and lock properly. Locks and keys should be regularly
maintained and operate as intended. You need to have the keys handy as
well, as sometimes they get mislaid. It's a good idea to keep spare
door and window keys in the same place, and away from the windows, just
so no one can reach them from outside.
Walls, hedges and fences should be regularly maintained and kept in
good condition ,and show no obvious signs of decay or neglect.
Burglars tend to expoit the vulnerable spots around your property.
Don't
leave garden tools in the garden as they could be stolen ,or they could
be used by intruders to break into your property. A spade could be used
to break a
window. Don't make it easy for thieves and burglars.
Look round your property for any obvious signs of security weakness,
such as rotting window frames. These can be easily kicked in.
Try to see your home through a burglar's eyes, who will probably be
looking for easy access to your property. Most crime is
opportunist, so burglars want to be in and out of a house as quickly as
possible. If you forget your keys, and
manage to enter your property without them, so can a burglar.
An outside security light is a good deterrent against intruders. You
can
buy them with a
movement sensor, so that it only activates when it detects body
movement or body heat. An outside security light is also a good idea if
you are often outside after dark. Or if you have a pet which you
regularly let out at night you can see where he or she is from the
inside of your residence. And it can be useful if you feel inquisitive
and want to
investigate any strange noise that you might hear outside at night.
If you have a lawn, make sure you mow it before you
leave home for a week or however lon you plan to be away. It is
sensible to leave as few
clues as
possible as to your absence from home, and also to make it appear to
would be burglars that your property is occupied, even when you are not
at home.
Leave a light on while you are out, and the radio
as well, just for noise and realism. These simple precautions are
highly effective in deterring would-be thieves and intruders, and they
are cost
effective security measures as well.
Don't leave your curtains permanently drawn while you are away on
holiday. Leave a trusted neighbor with your door keys and arrange for
them to come into your property on a regular basis to check that
everything is as it should be. Give them your telephone number as well,
just in case they need to contact you.
Should you invest in a house burglar alarm? Probably not straight away,
though its up to you. All it takes is a few simple precautions which
are enough to deter most burglars.
Just by taking these simple safety measures before you leave your
property unattended you can give the impression that someone is at home
and thereby deter would be burglars. And, these safety measures need
not
cost you much money.
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