With darker nights still upon us, we are sharing some simple ways to protect your home.
Popping out of the house?
- Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you’re only going out for a few minutes!
- Double-lock any door
- Make sure that any valuables are out of sight – this includes leaving packaging from outside of your house
- Keep handbags away from the letterbox or cat flap and hide all keys including car keys, as a thief could hook keys or valuables through even a small opening
- Never leave car documents or ID in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways
- In the evening, shut the curtains and leave lights on
- If you’re out all day, then it’s advisable to use a timer device to automatically turn lights and a radio on at night
- Set your burglar alarm
- Make sure the side gate is locked
- Lock your shed or garage
- Lock your bike inside a secure shed or garage, to a robust fitting bolted to the ground or wall, like a ground anchor
Going away?
- If you’re off on holiday and wish to post anything on social media, make sure your posts aren’t public and that they’re only seen by your friends – you don’t want potential burglars to know your house will be unattended!
- Leave lights and a radio on a timer to make your house appears occupied
- Ask a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property, or you could join a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme to keep in touch with those in your street
- Consider asking your neighbours to close curtains after dark
- If your driveway will be empty – you could also ask a neighbour to park on there to deter burglars from breaking in
- Remember to cancel newspaper and milk deliveries – you don’t want these piling up on your doorstep!