We live in a pretty rural village, very pretty, on a small estate. There are a lot of larger, detached houses around us, all less than a mile away that all back into open fields. The last few weeks there’s been several brazen attempts to get into a couple of the houses including being caught on peoples CCTV at 6pm trying their front and back doors while they are indoors with their young families. So we are after security ideas for our semi detached property as I do work away from home some nights. So far we have:

House and sheds alarmed
Ring doorbell pro camera and Ring rear garden floodlight camera
6ft fence all around the rear garden, with taller conifers behind that
Locked side gate
Yappy dog that barks at anything
Open front driveway with the RR and Mrs car on it

Just after any more suggestions that won’t make the place look like Fort Knox, but give a little more peace of mind and act as a deterrent

Prickly bushes all along both sides of the fence if possible will help, the mk1 dog should hear someone attempting to get through that. First time FFRR owner

I do security systems if interested since 1983 alarms,cctv

It's hard to provide generic advice

Securing it for when you are in it is different to securing it for when you're not there

Budget is also another significant factor.....

Prickly plants and bright lights seem to be the general advice, but I did neither.

Usually the best thing you can do is lock yourself out & then try to figure out how you'd get in. Or how would you get round the back etc.

The one thing that is universally true is to make sure any Euro-locks you have in any doors are swapped out to anti snap, anti bump ones. - Google how easy those are to break into.

I did a complete renovation on my house - and I'm away a lot, so I've got integrated aluminium roller shutters on all the windows & doors at the back. Ground floor front windows are non-opening. Formidable looking front door etc.

Ultimately, a pro can break in, but I'd rather the more typical scrotes gave it the once over & just decide to move on to a softer target.

I’ve swapped out all my door locks for 3 star BS matched locks, we’ve had a couple of bunglaries round here recently,
So we have fitted ring door bell, we also have a 6 camera cctv system, and a high spec alarm.

Also look into door and window specs. The latest windows have to come up to Pas24 standard, which mean that they are more difficult to break in through.

On the new house all my doors and windows are Pas24, but at the end of the day you could still chuck a paving slab through my patio door......at the end of the if they want to get in they will. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2021 Discovery 5 D300 MHEV commercial

In a different life, in a galaxy far, far away I was once Police.

Speaking with various scum bags the thing that made them avoid one house only to burgle another was the presence of a dog. Alarm systems and security lights would make a house unattractive but big Beware of the Dog signs would make the majority of them walk on by and look for another house.

You will always get the odd crackhead who will take no notice of any deterrent or an organised gang who may target an identified dwelling but, from what you have said, you appear to have a good level of security in place.

Just remember, your house is only ever as secure as a pane of glass. The majority of break ins I attended back in the 1990’s involved simply throwing a plant pot or paving slab through the patio door. I only saw entry made by someone picking a lock once and that was when I was with a specialist department.

Jim

Lock picking & lock snapping - 2 very different things and 2 very different skill levels required.

Anti-snap locks are essential if you have Euro cylinders

northernmonkeyjones wrote:

.... at the end of the day you could still chuck a paving slab through my patio door.......

Not mine

On the back I have a 6m wide door



I'm away a lot so it was worth the investment to me to make it as secure as possible

It's hard to get round the back, but even if you do, there are roller shutters upstairs & downstairs

That is a good idea  There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2021 Discovery 5 D300 MHEV commercial

These offer a nice low profile addition to home security.

http://www.rhinoshutters.co.uk/

Jim