How To Deter Burglars From Your Home

There are many actions you can take how to deter burglars from your home. Criminals know what key signs to look out for.  Many have revealed that they usually obtain access to the property in under two minutes. This suggests that there are factors that identify which properties look as though they are going to be easier to break into. Let’s discuss what they look out for and how to deter burglars from your home.

Secure doors

The look of your home has a huge impact on whether or not your home is targeted. The external doors of your home are one of the few factors that have a huge impact on the appearance of your home. Having what appears to be durable heavy doors and strong locks can be enough to completely deter a burglar. Taking that extra time to attempt to force entry into your property is simply seen as a too greater risk. Especially when there are much easier targets available

Here at SCI Windows we supply and install the highest quality bespoke PVCu, composite, patio, French and bi-fold doors in Surrey. We will ensure that your choice of replacement doors complements your home and provides you with many years of service.

Secure windows

The easiest and most obvious way in is through an open window, so always close windows when you leave the house.

The same security, however, applies to your windows as it does your doors. Burglars know what signs to look out for and anything above the bare minimum is usually sufficient at deterring burglars.

PVCu windows are extremely secure and extremely difficult to break into. Here at SCI Windows, we offer a wide range of styles including sliding sash, casement and tilt & turn. Our PVCu windows come with an “A” energy rating as standard; this is solely on heat retention, without bringing in solar gain. We also have “A+” ratings available if that better suits your needs.

Keep your home active

A burglar will never take the risk of breaking into your property if they think the owner is home. This doesn’t mean you need to go all out. Preparing a Home-Alone style party with mannequins and cardboard cutouts moving in front of windows in order to fool a burglar is not necessary. Something as simple as fitting a light switch timer that automatically turns on some lights when it gets dark is suitable. The more advanced version of this would be purchasing some smart bulbs that you can control remotely via your phone. This way you can turn the lights on as and when you deem appropriate. These bulbs are readily available on sites like Amazon.

If you’re going on holiday and are going to be away for a longer period of time, there are a few very simple things you can do to make it look as though you are in, that require little to no effort on your part. The first is to ask a trusted neighbour to collect any letters or packages that appear outside your home or on your doormat. There’s nothing more glaringly obvious to burglars than a huge pile of post on your doorstep, straight away letting them know you’re not inside to collect them.

Perception of your home

Making your home look as if it has some level of security can be enough to off-put a criminal. Obviously, an alarm is one of the best deterrents. They can normally spot when the box is a dummy alarm, so be aware of this.

Having a sign warning that you have CCTV in operation or a large floodlight that illuminates your driveway when someone walks up it are great options.

Another thing to take into account is how well the foliage on the front of your house is been maintained. Having an unmowed lawn may suggest you are not home to maintain it. A large untrimmed hedge offers cover from neighbouring homes, which, will give you privacy but stop them spotting a possible break in. These are things you may not even consider but burglars always notice.

Important takeaways to deter burglars from your home

What you need to keep in mind when it comes to home security is that the burglar wants as easy a job as possible. Even minimal security will likely make them think twice about targeting your home. They want to spend as little time as possible entering, which will reduce the likelihood of being noticed.

The money it would cost to get many of these suggestions implemented will be heavily outweighed by the potential loss of goods from a targeted burglary.

The most effective way to deter burglars

In our opinion having every potential entry point (doors and windows) as secure as possible is the most effective way to deter criminals. If you’re interested in getting a free-of-charge, no-commitment quote from one of our trained professionals, please do contact us by telephone on 020 8648 0426 or email at office@sciwindows.co.uk. We will do our best to respond to you as soon as possible. Alternatively, you can give us a call just to discuss the security benefits of a new door or set of windows. We’re more than happy to help wherever possible.