Looking to protect your empty home from burglars and break-ins?
Keeping your home locked and secure is a great way to protect it from burglaries.
A good home insurance policy helps you get back the cost of your belongings. But our tips can help you prevent burglars from gaining entry in the first place.
Table of Contents
Check your home for security weaknesses
Research indicates that if it takes a thief more than four or five minutes to break into a home, they are more likely to move on.
Take the time to ‘case’ your house or apartment as a burglar would, and consider following these steps to make it more secure, especially at points of entry.
- Install basic security measures. Install anti-snap door locks that meet BSI standards. Keep windows in a locked state. If possible, install composite doors, as UPVC doors can get kicked in.
- Invest in a burglar alarm. The best ones send an alert to an external monitoring service.
- Invest in security cameras. Cover the main entry entry points and mount them out of reach to prevent tampering. Burglars will be less likely to target your home if they know someone is watching. But remember, if they wear masks, Police won’t be interested.
- Adjust your privacy settings for extra security. Trim trees and shrubs near doors and windows, and consider carefully before erecting a tall wooden fence in your backyard. High fences and shrubbery can offer you privacy but can also be beneficial to burglars.
- Illuminate the area. Force any would-be burglars out of the darkness. Exterior lights and motion detectors, positioned out of easy reach, can reduce the shadows hiding a potential burglar.
- Keep valuables out of sight. If your valuable paintings, silver collection or home entertainment system are visible from outside the house, consider re-arranging your furniture to make your home less attractive to criminals.
Home entry point security
To help thwart break-ins, reinforce the security features at your home’s entry points. But keep in mind that safety comes first—whatever security measures you install, make sure that you can quickly and easily escape in case of fire or any other emergency.
Doors
Should be strong. Outside doors should be made of metal or solid hardwood and must be at least one and three-quarters inches thick.
Similarly, the doorframe should be made of sturdy material, and the door should fit snugly. Even if you have the most up-to-date lock, it won’t be of much use if the door is weak.
For identifying visitors, it is safer to have a peephole or a wide-angle viewer in the door than to have a door chain. Sliding glass doors come with their own set of security challenges. However, you may be able to find special locks for them.
Deadbolt locks
Are the best option when it comes to security. Typically, these locks are opened with a key from the outside and a thumb turn from the inside.
The cylinder (where the key is inserted) should resist picking. To ensure quality, buying locks from a reliable locksmith or a reputable hardware store is best.
Windows
Can be secured with the help of key locks. Double-hung windows can be secured by ‘pinning’ the upper and lower frames together with a nail, which can be removed from the inside.
Consider installing metal accordion gates if you have windows at street level or on fire escapes.
Home security habits
Don’t allow criminals to invade your home – make sure you commit to these safety practices:
- Create a routine to ensure all doors and windows are securely locked, and alarm systems are activated.
- Refrain from giving out personal information to unknown callers, and don’t post your address when selling something online or in public.
- Join your neighbours in monitoring your area – working together is the best way to deter crime.
- If you spot any unfamiliar people in the vicinity, contact the Police or your local neighbourhood watch.
- Don’t keep your home keys on a ring with your address or leave them with your car in a parking lot or with an attendant.
- Don’t hide your keys outside your house either – burglars know all the hiding places.
- Don’t post on social media that you are leaving for a week’s holiday in the sun!
how to protect your house from burglars?
To protect your home from burglars and vandals while you’re away on holidays or working away from home, it’s essential to make your home look occupied. Ask your friends and neighbours to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
Here are some tips to help:
- Leave the blinds in their usual position.
- Notify your trustworthy neighbours when you plan to be away, and consider letting the Police know too.
- Have your lawn mowed in the summer and your walk and driveway cleared of snow in winter.
- Cancel the newspaper delivery and ask a neighbour to collect any flyers or newspapers that are thrown away.
- Have mail and packages collected by a neighbour or have them redirected to the post office or held there.
- Lower the volume of your telephone ringer and answering machine so they can’t be heard from outside.
- Use automatic timers to switch lights and a radio on and off in different parts of the house at the right times.
Get a safe
A strong home safe is essential for protecting important documents such as passports, birth certificates, and insurance papers from both theft and fire. Identity theft is a real risk if these documents are not properly safeguarded.
Any items of great value, sentimental or otherwise, should be stored in a secure place. To ensure the safe itself is secure, consider bolting it to the floor.
Invest in smart home security
Smart home technology can be a great, cost-effective solution if you’re looking to improve your home security. Connect your outdoor lights to your Wi-Fi and program them to turn on automatically.
With a smart doorbell camera, you can see who’s at the door without having to approach it.
Many of these devices are easy to install, so you don’t have to worry about finding someone to do the job for you.
Get anti-climb fencing and a prickly hedgerow
Proper fencing and hedgerows can serve as an effective deterrent against thieves. A thick, prickly hedge can make it difficult for burglars to get into your garden.
Adding anti-climb toppings, such as plastic spikes, to the fence can further make it difficult for burglars to climb over. Having a small fence or hedge at the front of your property makes burglars more visible to your neighbours, thus lessening the likelihood of a break-in.
According to CrimeStoppers, a hedge or fence of about 1 meter in height should suffice for the front of the property, while the rear should have a hedge or fence of 1.8 meters in height.
This will make it hard for burglars to gain access to your home and also make it difficult for them to escape.
Ensure You Have Empty Home Insurance
Regular insurance policies don’t cover you if the property has been emptied for more than 28 days in a year.
It is best to buy a full perils insurance policy. However, they’d require you to inspect the property weekly and take photos.
Why not sell instead?
When selling your property, many people opt for an estate agent. However, this may not necessarily guarantee a quick house sale. Companies that purchase homes offer a great option for those who need to move quickly and securely.
Sell Your Empty Property To Us
Whether you have an empty house awaiting probate or need the certainty of a fast sale, we can help.
Selling your home directly to a reputable house-buying company can provide with the speed and assurance that other methods of house sale won’t.
We also offer a free house clearance service if you sell to us.
We use our own funds. This means we can guarantee to buy your home on the date of your choice.
Property Saviour will purchase your home in as little as 7 days if necessary.
Property Saviour Price Promise
- The price we’ll offer is the price that you will receive with no hidden deductions.
- Be careful with ‘cash buyers’ who require a valuation needed for a mortgage or bridging loan.
- These valuations or surveys result in delays and price reductions later on.
- We are cash buyers. There are no surveys.
- We always provide proof of funds with every formal offer issued.
We'll Pay £1,500 Towards Your Legal Fees
- No long exclusivity agreement to sign because we are the buyers.
- You are welcome to use your own solicitor.
- If you don’t have one, we can ask our solicitors for recommendations.
- We share our solicitor’s details and issue a Memorandum of Sale.
Sell With Certainty & Speed
- Our approach is transparent and ethical, which is why sellers trust us.
- 100% Discretion guaranteed.
- If you have another buyer, you can put us in a contracts race to see who completes first.
- Complete in 10 days or at a timescale that works for you. You are in control.
