28 Jan Protecting Your Home Against Burglars
Protecting your property against burglars is not rocket science and sometimes, some simple measures will go a long way to ensure the safety of that which you hold dear.
Change your locks when you move into a new property. If you’re renting a property, ask your landlord to change the lock if this wasn’t already taken care of. It’s practically impossible to confirm that no extra copies were given out in the past and you don’t want your property to be accessible to some stranger who can just walk in with a key!
Lock all doors and windows. Leaving an open door or window is like sending a direct invitation to any cruising burglars who may be casing the neighbourhood. So whether you are home or out, make sure, you keep doors and windows shut and locked.
Robbers know how to spot weak locks that can be open forced open easily and they will tend to opt for an easier option if your property seems well secured, so make sure you have good locks on your doors and windows. Sliding doors should have vertical bolts. A metal or wooden rod in the track of sliding doors is also very effective to prevent the door being forced open or lifted off the track.
Never leave your home without locking the front door, even if it’s just for a quick trip. Even if there is a courier waiting outside or, it’s pouring rain, take the extra moment to lock up. Burglars don’t take days off due to weather!
Invest in a simple home safe and keep all valuables and cash in it. Ideally such a safe should be bolted into the floor or the wall to make it as difficult as possible for robbers, as otherwise they may just pick this up and leave with it. Do not leave your password or key to the safe lying around as otherwise this may be accessible to a trespasser in your home.
Do NOT hide spare keys outside or label your keychains. Burglars will know to look in the pot outside your door, or under your mat to find a hidden spare key. So if you need to leave a spare, find someone you trust to leave it with, like a dependable neighbour. If you have a label on your keys you lose these or they are stolen, this will be an issue as your property will be at risk.
Do NOT advertise that you are going away on holiday. We know you’ve been looking forward to this holiday and are excited to be going away and would like to declare it on Facebook, but DON’T! The more publicly known it is that you will be away, the greater the chance that some robber may find out and decide to utilise this time to ransack your home at leisure.
Consider investing in a home alarm system. There are many different options for security systems out there, including outdoor motion sensors, sensors at exterior doors and windows, security alarms. Choose a system that suits your needs and fits your budget to secure your home or property and provide you with additional security of mind. Contact us for advice on how to best secure your property on: (+356) 21 44 35 38 | alberta.com.mt/contact-us/ for a free consultation.
You can never completely eliminate the change of a robbery, but prevention is better than cure, so don’t be a mug….take some simple precautions to protect your belongings.
