Our best defense is to make sure that our homes are secured, whether it is a house or Flat.
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Every kind of property is different. It is your responsibility to make it safe.
How does one make property safer?
Simple, you have to think like a burglar.
Stand outside your property and inspect your doors and windows.
See if you find a way to enter your property with ease.
Are there any drain pipes that can be used for climbing? What about lower walls and fences?
Have you got an extension which has flat roof?
Easy Targets are as follows:
1. Access through a window; even a small window is accessible by the bad elements so always keep them shut.
2. Standard Glass doors and windows; these can be broken and easy for the thieves to make an entry.
3. Double Glazed UPVC Doors; Check that the key insertion is not jutting out.
If it is, it can be broken off. Check on the web for more info.
4. Double Glazed UPVC windows; these can be yanked out from the frames and enter property. Put extra Sash Locks on them. See Photo below.
5. Flat roof; very easy to climb up using drain pipes.
6. Rear and Side Fences; how low are they? They should be 2 metres high.
7. Side gates; this is another entry. Lock them from inside.
8. Have you an alley way at the side or rear of the house? This is another way to enter. Put a Gate there and also make your fences higher using trellis.
9. Your keys to the doors and windows; are they still hanging on the doors and windows? Remove them and keep them safe in your bedroom or some other place.
10. Isolate your rooms by putting sliding stoppers outside of the doors and close them before going to sleep or going out. See Photo below.
11. Get an Alarm System Fitted which has:
A. Inertia Detector and Integral Contacts on the Doors and Windows. See Photo below.
B. Passive Infra-Red Movement Detector in every room.
C. Look for Alarm system that can set partitions, meaning that you can set it fully when you go out or Part-set it when you are inside at night (the Passive Infra-Red Movement Detectors are switched off)
12. Put a light outside (At the Back, Side and/or Front) which has a timer that can be set according to changing night times.
13. Check how good and strong are your locks too.
One may argue that the light will increase the electric fuel bills. Look at the bright side, it is a deterrent and also will be for your and property’s safety too.
By Noor Mohamed
TIP: Keeping external lights on, all night on timer, works as a deterrent. LED lights are bright and cheap to run.
Most of the above is relevant.
Flats have other type of challenges.
If you are sharing a Kitchen, then you have room in the house. Best way is to put a stopper inside of the door. You can have mortice 4 or 5 lever lock on the door.