Share this contentWhether you are a homeowner or a renter, home security will no doubt be an important priority for you. Afterall, not only do we want to protect our possessions from intruders, but we want to ensure that ourselves and our families are protected from intruders. The good news is that there are so many options available to make our homes more secure and to deter criminals from attempting a break-in.
Whilst there are certainly many high quality, effective security products available for your home, many security measures can also be very expensive. Here we look at some great ways to improve your home security on a budget.
Change your locks
Considerably upping the security of your home could be as simple as changing your locks. If you have moved into a property and not changed the locks, it’s important to consider that you don’t know who may have access to keys to your home. Failing to change the locks allows easy access to your home in the event that keys have fallen into the wrong hands.
Whilst euro cylinder locks are the most common type of lock found in residential properties in the UK, it’s important to consider that these locks can be broken into in less than 3 minutes by experienced burglars. Using little more than simple tools such as a hammer and a screwdriver, burglars can snap a cylinder lock and gain access to your home in no time at all.
By upgrading your locks to anti-snap locks, you raise your home security considerably. Anti-snap locks are designed to fit into a standard euro cylinder space but protect your home against common techniques for breaking and entering, such as lock snapping, lock drilling and lock bumping.
A locksmith can fit high security locks in your home in under 10 minutes, providing the peace of mind that your home is protected against forced entry.
Get a fake TV burglar deterrent
You may have seen ‘Home Alone’, where young Kevin McAllister is left at home whilst his family go away for the Christmas holidays. With a burglary spree going on in his neighbourhood, Kevin turns on televisions, music and a whole range of other devices to make his home look as if it is full of people, deterring burglars. This may be a film but giving the impression that your TV is on and people are at home can be a great way to deter burglars.
Whilst leaving the television on when you are out or away from home can result in a large electricity bill, a Fake TV device stimulates the flickering light of a TV whilst using much less electricity. For a modest price, a Fake TV light can be a very useful burglar deterrent. It might not provide the same level of physical security as home alarm systems and video doorbells but can be extremely effective – burglars are opportunists and will rarely attempt a break-in if they think someone is home.
Use motion sensor lights
Burglars don’t like to be seen, so they will usually avoid any property with good light. Interior and exterior lights with motion sensors are a cost-effective solution for alerting you and neighbours when intruders are nearby, as well as doing a lot to put them off targeting your home.
Choose a gravel driveway
It’s practically impossible to walk on gravel without making noise, so installing a gravel driveway can be an effective deterrent for burglars. By ensuring that gravel leads right up to the entrance points of your home, there’s a good chance you’ll hear that distinctive crunch, should anyone try to enter your home.
Protect your boundaries
Make it difficult for burglars to enter your property. Anti-climb paint or wall spikes can be cheap, but effective solutions to deterring burglars. Burglars will go for the easy option, so if the most logical way to gain entry to your property is by climbing over a thick oil coating, or being impaled on spikes, they will most likely decide against attacking your home.
Improve your home security
If you would like to see how you can improve your home security, contact Gibb Locksmiths today to arrange for a security upgrade survey. Call 0121 353 3644 or arrange a call back.
