Keeping Your Home Safe in Winter

image from Flying Colours Ltd

In winter, the average monthly offending levels can be up by one and a half times compared to summer. It is therefore vital to take extra care with your home security during the long and dark of the winter months.

Home Alarm System
A working home alarm system works three fold when it comes to burglary. Not only will it alert neighbours to a burglar’s presence, it can also be hooked up to alert police, and the alarm siren boxes on the front of your property will also act as a visual deterrent to thieves, preventing them breaking in in the first place. 84% of burglars avoid homes with alarms, and 60% of burglaries carried out on homes with alarms are unsuccessful, so a home alarm system is well worth the investment.

Curb Appeal
You want to avoid making your home look appealing to thieves. This doesn’t mean, however, that you should make your home look poorer by leaving it turn messy. Instead, this makes it looks like the house is empty, and therefore a good target. You should look after your property, even during the winter months. Simply sweeping up leaves, snow or other debris from your drive and not allowing magazines, catalogues or post to pile up outside means that your property looks lived in.
Another aspect to this is to avoid leaving tempting items in view. Make sure you draw your curtains at night time and don’t leave laptops and TVs in site of the windows when you’re out.

Door and Window Security
Two thirds of burglars gain access to a property through a door, so having adequate doors and windows will help stop burglars. Make sure your all your doors and windows are secure, and that means making the back of your house as same as the front. The Handle Store has a range of options for door and window handles and other safety devices that will make your home much more secure. Fitting restrictors on your windows makes them much safer. Make sure you can’t open your windows wider than a human head, and no one will be able to get in (and small children won’t be able to fall out either!). A chain on your door will help you prevent people forcing their way in when you answer the door too.