7 Ways to Burglar Proof your Home

No one wants to be the victim of burglary, having your hard-earned possessions rifled through and taken, so we’ve put together 7 ways you can burglar proof your home ahead of the festive period:

Burglars don’t want all eyes on them when trying to break into your property, they like to lurk in the darkness. A great place to start is by eliminating any potential outdoor hiding spots, starting with installing outdoor lighting in key access points or investing in a Floodlight Camera. Since some thieves are often ones of opportunity, outdoor lights, especially a two-in-one deterrent like a Floodlight Camera that startles and records all in one go, may encourage the intruder to keep moving. Rather than keeping your outdoor light on constantly, motion-sensor lights are perfect as they illuminate your outdoor spaces as soon as movement is detected.

Locking your doors and windows is the first and easiest method to burglar proof your home, but how many of us are doing this constantly? In our recent survey¹, results showed that 42% don’t even lock their doors and windows whilst they’re home. Burglars often look for easy targets, and an unlocked door or window is just that. Investing in door and window sensors is an essential component of your home security, as they let you know if someone is attempting to enter your home.

The most fundamental part of front door security is the lock that you use. No matter how someone might go about attacking your front door, they are going to interact with your lock. Lock snapping continues to be a common threat for homeowners across the country, however one of the most effective and affordable ways of easily upgrading door locks is by opting for a high security cylinder.

We would recommend using a Yale Platinum 3-Star Cylinder, as this high performing cylinder has been specially designed to offer protection from Anti-Bump, Anti-Pull, Anti-Pick and Anti-Drill burglary attack methods. Even if someone were to try and access your property via the ‘blowtorch burglary’ method, the opportunistic thief would not be able to gain access to your home through breaking the lock. By installing a 3-star cylinder lock, this ensures that your door can offer superior protection against a variety of techniques.

In an ideal world, burglars won’t make it into your home to begin with, so you’d never have to worry about your valuables being stolen but that isn’t always the case. Some opportunistic thieves scope out their target ahead of time, ensuring they can hit houses with high ticket items guaranteed within. To help prevent this, it’s best to keep any valuable or sentimental items locked up in a maximum security safe. Another way of burglar proofing your home is to avoid keeping expensive tools or bikes out in the open and keep pricey electronics out of sight. Afterall, you don’t want to let thieves window shop.

A report by TheEcoExperts has shown that burglary rates are lower among households with at least one security measure in place, whether that be a burglar alarm, Wi-Fi camera or a smart lock. With the Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm range, you can check-in on the status of your alarm from anywhere in the world and receive real-time notifications. The handy geolocation feature on the Sync Smart Home Alarm reminds you to set the alarm whenever you leave, giving you one less thing to worry about. And with a 104dB external siren and a 94dB internal siren within the Yale Sync Hub, you can ensure that any would-be burglars will certainly get a fright when the alarm is activated.

Investing in a home security system can be an integral part in helping to burglar proof your home, as it acts as a visual deterrent for opportunistic thieves. A report by TheEcoExperts has shown that burglary rates are lower among households with at least one security measure in place, whether that be a burglar alarm, Wi-Fi camera or a smart lock.

With the Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm range, you can check-in on the status of your alarm from anywhere in the world and receive real-time notifications. The handy geolocation feature on the Sync Smart Home Alarm reminds you to set the alarm whenever you leave, giving you one less thing to worry about. And with a 104dB external siren and a 94dB internal siren within the Yale Sync Hub, you can ensure that any would-be burglars will certainly get a fright when the alarm is activated.

If you’re thinking of hiding are spare house key under your doormat or flowerpot, don’t. Instead, why not consider leaving your spare key with a family member or trusted neighbour? In the event that you leave your keys at work or lose them altogether, you can get peace of mind knowing that they can come to save the day, but also that your home is safe and secure also.

If you’re looking to eliminate the need for keys altogether, then why not invest in a smart door lock? Dependent on what type of lock you opt for, you can have the freedom and flexibility to unlock your door directly with your smartphone when using the compatible app, share virtual keys with loved ones if/when needed and receive real-time notifications in the event that your door is unlocked unexpectedly.

Although data published by the Office for National Statistics has shown that 60% of all burglaries take place in the evening or during the night, not all thieves will want enter your home whilst you’re there. They’d rather find a vacant property and be in and out as quickly as possible, undetected. Therefore, one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to burglar proof your home is by making it look like someone is there…

During the day, this might include leaving the radio on or if possible, one of your cars on the drive. In the evening, you could look to keep an interior light on whilst you pop to the pub or for a spot of shopping. Smart lighting can create a more convincing effect, allowing you to programme your lights on and off periodically and controlling them directly through your smartphone is another plus. If you’re gone for longer periods, see if you can have a family member or neighbour collect your letters or any parcels, as mail piling up can be a tell-tale sign to thieves that no one is home.

Each small improvement you make to your security will ensure your home and loved ones are safe and secure. To find the system that’s right for you, visit our website.

¹A poll of 2000 UK Adults (Nationally Representative) run by OnePoll, commissioned by Yale UK, 2022