The five top tips to protect your home

As new studies reveal that Greater London is the 5th most burgled region in the UK, security experts have offered their advice on deterring thieves from entering your home.

The study, conducted by home security experts at ADT.

Greater Manchester tops the list, with a total of 23,401 burglaries being reported. This equated to 821.58 burglaries per 100,000 people.

The experts at ADT also offered their top five tips to deter burglars.

Conceal your valuables
Criminals often target homes for small, valuable items that are left in plain sight. Cash, jewellery and watches are the most likely items to be taken if burglars enter your home.

Not only are these items untraceable from the moment the criminal leaves your property, but they are also easy to conceal.

While some home intruders check common hiding places like under mattresses and inside drawers, hiding your valuables in a concealed safe which is secured to the wall or floor is one of the best ways to keep them away from criminals.

Install a home security system
Smart home security systems can monitor your property 24/7, and can send alerts to your phone if you are out of the house.

Systems offer police response, meaning that when an intruder alarm is triggered or a personal attack button is activated, the police will be contacted automatically.

If the cameras are visible around your home, burglars are less likely to strike.

Leave the lights on
Turn lights on around your home while you’re out to give the appearance of occupancy.

Using smart plugs can be one of the best ways to deter criminals.

If movement is detected by your outdoor security cameras or video doorbell, your smart plugs can turn lamps on automatically to give burglars the impression that your property is occupied.

Keep your items safe
If you own high-value items like jewellery, watches and electrical equipment or have ID documents in easy reach, storing them in a home safe can keep them away from thieves.

This should be kept in a room other than the bedroom since this is where most criminals search for valuable items and should be bolted to the floor or a wall.

Keeping your valuables in a safe at home allows for easy access to your items while protecting them from intruders.

Secure your garden
Using tall fencing around the sides and rear of your home can deter criminals.

The difficulty of climbing high fences can put off potential intruders.

You could also use anti-climb plastic fence spikes or grow thorny plants on a trellis to further deter burglars.

It is equally effective to use lower fences at the front of your property, alongside outdoor lighting, so burglars have nowhere to hide.

 

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