Be five steps ahead of a burglar

Roughly seven million UK homes were targeted and burgled in 2013! A recent study by Privilege Home Insurance has identified the five most common methods burglars use and what you should do to keep your home and personal belongings safe and secured.

1. Invest in a safe

It is becoming a new ‘trend’ for criminals to use metal detectors to quickly and efficiently locate any jewellery or other expensive possessions that may be hidden in your home. This allows them to find what they want immediately, without leaving a trail of mess from searching frantically through wardrobes and draws.

Any high-value items should be stored away in a safe, preferably in a discreet place that burglars wouldn’t expect to find it and locked with a combination code – as keys can be found.

2. Cash for Gold

Although there isn’t anything in particular you can do to prevent this, it is handy to keep in mind.
Thieves are now carrying pre-addressed ‘cash for gold’ envelopes so that once they have stolen pieces of valuable jewellery, they can quickly send it off without leaving a trace of solid evidence that they were even associated with the crime. This enables them to post the stolen goods possibly minutes after exiting your home at the nearest post box and subsequently receive a cheque days later – no questions asked.

3. Guard your garage

If the main entrance to your house is too risky and all windows are locked, criminals will often prise open your garage door to either steal goods from inside or alternatively, find another entrance into your home. Privilege found that this is most common for garage doors with a single central lock. Tools, bikes and garden furniture are the most commonly stolen items, with an average targeted household loss of around £900!!

Install a more advanced locking system to your garage door if you keep valuable items in there, as well as make sure any alternative entrance to your house through the garage also has a locking system.

4. Strange stickers

Be aware of any unusual stickers that pop up on your front door or windows advertising companies like locksmiths. Many burglars were reported to leave stickers to mark houses for future break-ins.

Businesses do not have the right to mark your personal property, so if you see any suspicious-looking stickers on your property, remove them immediately and take extra precautions to secure your home.

5. Apple Picking

“Apple picking” is the term given to criminals who wait outside homes and target victims who are distracted or engrossed in a mobile phone conversation. They will usually follow you from behind if they can see you have a mobile phone, specifically an Apple iPhone or any other new and expensive handset, grab it from you and then quickly make their escape on a bike.

Although these criminals don’t enter your home, the crime usually takes place on your driveway or front lawn. This is when you are most vulnerable as you stop to let yourself in.

Avoid this by being aware of your surroundings at all times, especially at night. Keep any expensive items such as your mobile phone or iPod away when walking home or exiting a car near your property.

Hide your spare keys properly!

Often intruders don’t even have to break in as they find spare keys under mats, plant pots and on top of the door frame. Keep your spare keys creatively and efficiently hidden in ornamental and decorative key hides, or alternatively key vaults that have combination locks.

Also, be aware of who you give your house keys. Remember that pet sitter, plumber or cleaner you gave a set of keys to that one time? How well do you know and trust these people?

Visit our Guardian Security burglar alarm system page to learn more about how they improve your home security so you can have peace of mind.