Home Security

There is no question that these statistics should be of great concern to homeowners, but there is good news as well as bad. While crime statistics may prove daunting at first, a closer inspection of property crime in the UK reveals that much of it can be prevented if homeowners take several effective yet simple steps.

It is important to bear in mind that 80% of burglars are opportunists. They are not criminal masterminds and, more than anything, they are looking for easy targets. If you can ensure that your home does not advertise itself to burglars as an easy target, then the likelihood of it falling victim to an opportunist burglar is significantly reduced. It is staggering to see that 20% of burglars do not have to force entry when they burgle a home. Instead, they simply walk in. This suggests that one fifth of burglaries in the UK could be prevented by doing things as simple as ensuring that doors and windows are locked.

80% of burglars are opportunists.

Interestingly, the perception of how burglaries occur appears to be skewed in a way that can make homeowners more vulnerable. For example, when you imagine a burglary, what do you see? Is it a man sneaking into your home in the middle of the night while you sleep? After all, how many people do you know who sleep with a cricket bat by their bed incase they need to scare off a late night intruder? If this is your perception of how are burglary occurs then it may well be of interest to you that the majority of burglaries take place during the day. You may lock up at night, sleep with a torch and cricket bat by your bed, and even set your house alarm, but if the security of your home is lax during the day then your vulnerability to burglary is still high. It is perceptions such as the night time burglar that can mislead homeowners and allow criminals to take advantage. So to achieve effective security, it important to work based on facts, and not commonly held perceptions.

Do you know which area of your home a burglar is most likely to target? You might have a big, heavy front door complete with several locks, bolts and chains, but that isn’t going to deter the 60% of burglars who target the rear of your home, looking for a weak back door and open windows. Again, this highlights the importance of creating a security plan for your home which is based on facts. When you know these facts, it becomes a lot easier to effectively deter criminals from your property and can give you a lot more confidence in the security of your home.

At the very start of this home security guide, before we have committed to any attempt at a detailed analysis of home security, we are still in a position to offer three key pieces of very simple advice which can significantly increase the security of your home.

Always remember that:

1. 80% of burglars are opportunists and 20% of them do not even have to force entry when they target a home. As such, while the advice to lock windows and doors sounds simple, it is simply effective.
2. 60% of burglaries take place when a burglar approaches the rear of your house. Therefore, you should be especially mindful of securing this area of your house. Preventing easy access to the rear of your home is very important.
3. Most burglaries take place during the day, often while homeowners are out at work. Therefore, ensuring your property is secure during daylight hours is exceptionally important.

Bearing these key facts in mind can provide you with a good platform from which to work when you aim to ensure your home. It also upon these three key facts that the rest of this guide will build to provide you with a comprehensive guide to help you secure your house while ensuring that it remains homely rather than prison-like.