burglar proof your home

Flood lights and outside lights are one of the easiest ways you can deter potential burglars from targeting your home. You should cover all entrances and exits to your home. Ideally the front and back of your property should be covered to give you peace of mind and give the burglar a hard time.

There are several types of outdoor lighting that's available, one of the most common ones are PIR light

PIR Lighting
PIR lights work with a heat motion sensor, when the sensor picks up a heat source moving within the sensor's vicinity it will activate the light to reveal the source. Once the heat source has stopped moving the light will switch off after a set period of time and then turns back on again when movement is detected.

Dusk to Dawn lighting
This type of lighting turns on when the sun sets and turns off when the sun rises. This will cover your property in light continuously throughout the night which will illuminate your property and provide a strong deterrent to any burglars thinking about dropping in. Burglar's don't want other people to see them breaking in, or snooping around your property looking for potential entrances to your home.

Hi-Lo Lighting
This type of lightning combines both the PIR and dust to dawn method shown above. These lights switch on automatically when the sun sets at a low brightness level and when movement is detected within the vicinity the lights switch to full brightness and sustain this brightness level for a set length of time. The duration of time the lights stay at full brightness can be adjusted to suit the environment that the lights will be installed in.

Sometimes it helps if you put yourself in the eyes and shoes of a burglar and ask yourself, how can I get into my house, What are the weak points, Are there any area's that are covered and obscured from lights, are there any tools or items I can use, is the property overlooked?

A burglar alarm is another easy cost effective way that you can protect your home. Some companies will charge a fortune to have one installed but you should ring around and get together some quotes before you go ahead with the install. If your home already has one installed then just sit back and relax but make sure that you keep the alarm serviced by a qualified Alarm engineer and tested every 3 months. If you're feeling like doing some home DIY then you can purchase a wireless alarm system, most hardware or electrical stores should stock these. They cost around £100 - £300 pounds but can also include outhouses and caravans within the detection range.

Burglar alarms have magnetic contacts that are installed on various entry points throughout the property, doors windows ect. When the alarm is set and the magnetic barrier is broken at any given point the alarm sounds. Some house alarms also include indoor PIR sensors, which work by detecting the movement of heat in the vicinity. If movement is detected then the alarm will sound.

Each system Wired or Wireless is protected commonly by a 4 digit pin which will deactivate the system and cancel the alarm. More advanced systems include both pin identification and a finger print scan to deactivate the alarm.

Having an alarm system to protect your home is a good idea, but it's never a good idea to neglect the locks on your doors and windows!

This is one of the first lines of defence against any unwanted intruders. You should check that your locks are in good condition. Remember that a lock is only as strong as the door frame that supports it; you should ensure that the hinges to your door are secure and there's no missing screws, a typical door should have 3 individual hinges to secure the door to the frame. Any weakness here may cause the door to collapse or fail pre-maturely which opens your home up to abuse and attack.

For additional security you could invest in some hinge bolts. These are cheap to purchase and installed on the inside part of the door. Hinge bolts come in two parts the base which is mounted on the inside of the frame, and the bolt which screws onto the inside of the door its self. When installed this provides better protection and security, as the door closes completely the bolt which mounts on the inside of the door will sit in the base and act like an additional lock.

If you have a patio window you should consider fitting some additional locking bolts on the patio door. You can pick these locks up at any DIY or hardware store and they don't require an expert to install. The lock is secured to the patio frame and a hole is drilled into the patio door. Once the door is fully closed the bolt can lock into place and provide the door with more security. I would recommend that if you are going to install door locks for your patio you purchase two for extra security. Mount one at the bottom and top of the door and make sure that the locks are screwed securely and firmly into the patio frame.

Having a dog decreases your chances of being burgled significantly. 9 times out of 10 if a burglar hears a dog on your premises unless he values his fingers he will back off and find another easier property to target.

A dogs hearing and sense of smell is significant compared to our standard besides being an adorable pet to look after. Burglars know this! And there aware that trying to snoop around a home with a sleeping dog isn't a very bright idea.

It's never a good idea to leave your garden tools outside. Not only could they be pinched, but they can be used against you as a tool to break into your home. It's quite sad but most burglars have found assistance from the tools the owner left outside. If you have a garage or a secure outhouse make sure there locked away.

Also it's a good idea to secure your wheelie bins to a solid structure - burglars can use your bins as an aid to climb on.

Assess your garden and look for anything that an intruder could use. If you can't lock it away then secure it down.

Anyone selling or offering you a service at your door step should both carry ID and a licence. Check that he/she has this present, if in doubt then call the company and check the address; this should be a permanent address of residence and not a PO BOX number. You should never let them into your home regardless of what they say, if you're unsure if there legitimate phone the company they work for and ask to confirm if this employee works for the company and there nature of business at your property. Make sure you obtain the number from a reliable source such as the yellow pages or directory services, never accept a number that they try and provide to you, this could be fake and all part of their setup.

You should also beware of letting anyone view your property; a thief can plan his route easier from seeing the layout of your home and from knowing where you sleep.

Remember YOU are in CONTROL.......If you do not wish to engage with the individual at the door you have the power to say NO. If the individual refuses to go then you should lock your door and call the police for assistance.

You can further protect your home with CCTV camera systems. CCTV as well as a deterrent will also help aid the police to identify and track down criminals. If your considering installing one make sure that it covers the entrances to your house. Check the camera views regularly to ensure they haven't been moved or tampered with. Ideally you should have a recording system linked to the camera's to record at least a month's worth of footage.

The thought of one's house being covered in big lanky security camera's can put the home owner off buying this kit...I'll admit that even I agree a house covered in cameras looks ugly. But there are other options to consider.

You can now get small pin hole camera's that are no bigger that a 1 pence piece. The camera's come in different colours that act to both blend into the colour of the house making the camera virtually invisible to the unsuspecting criminal and at the same time keeping the outside of the house looking great.

If you're planning on going on a long vacation then I would recommend that you invest in a time switch and program these to turn on each day. This will give the impression that there's somebody at home.

A time switch is an appliance that turns on and off at a predetermined set time, you can program the switch to come on and off at any time of day. Some of the digital switches allow you to set a different routine for each day.

In addition to this you can also get TV Simulators. These TV simulators give out light and make noises to mimic that of your home TV. They use a fraction of the cost and can aid to reinforce the idea that there's someone at home while you're out. They can be connected to the time switch to come on and off at certain times.

We always think of ways to prevent unwanted intruders from getting into our homes but we never think of them getting out. Im sure a large percentage of people still leave the keys for there windows either in the lock or somewhere close by where it can be easily found.

You want to make life as hard as possible for the burglar, most of them will gain access to the property via a small window. This limits them to what they can take. Ideally when you go away for a prolonged period of time you should always ensure that all valuables such as jewlery, laptops, games and anything that could easily fit through a window are removed before the property is vacant.

Sometimes this isnt ideal especially if you have a lot of stuff (me included) however its a step that i would always take, I wouldnt expect a burglar to fit a 50 inch plasma tv through the window, but i would expect all my games, dvd's and small electronic goods to go after a burglar drops in.

Lock all your windows and remove all keys from the property.