Films picture burglars as master planners. In reality, most are opportunists making quick decisions on the street: is anyone home, can I get in without being seen, and how fast can I get out? Your job isn’t to make your home impenetrable. It’s to make it look like more trouble than the house next door.
What a burglar is looking for
- An empty house.No lights, no car, post piling up, curtains open late at night or closed all day.
- An easy way in.Police advice notes that in around one in four burglaries the offender doesn’t need to use force, because a door or window has been left open.
- Cover.High hedges at the front, an unlit side passage, a gate that opens onto a private back garden.
- Something worth taking, in reach.Car keys by the front door, a laptop visible through the window, tools in an unlocked shed.
- A low chance of being seen or recorded.No cameras, no alarm box, no security lights.
How to take each of those away
Make it look occupied
Use timers or smart plugs on lamps, ask a neighbour to move post and put the bins out when you’re away, and avoid posting holiday photos until you’re home.
Close the easy ways in
Lock doors and windows every time, even when you’re in the garden. Make sure door frames and locks are in good condition, and fit window locks on ground-floor and easy-to-reach windows.
Take away the cover
Keep front hedges low enough to see the door from the street. Lock the side gate, ideally with a lock on the inside, and light the side passage and back garden.
Hide the prizes
Keep keys, including car keys, away from doors and out of sight. Never leave a spare under a mat or plant pot. Lock sheds and garages, and don’t leave ladders or tools lying around.
Make sure they’ll be seen
Visible cameras and an alarm box are among the strongest signals that a house isn’t worth the risk. Cameras also give police something to work with if the worst happens. Footage can help identify people and vehicles.
Where do your blind spots fall?
Most homes we survey have the front door covered but leave the side passage and back garden, the routes burglars actually prefer, out of view. Run the intruder test in our coverage planner to see where someone could walk round a typical home unseen, then book a free survey to check yours.