The Best Ways to Secure your House Right Now

Another friend just messaged me about a recent break into their apartment. People are getting desperate out there. The homeless is growing  exponentially, the chasm between the rich and the poor etc etc. I'm also of the belief that the cost of living crisis is moving people into times of despair. Why are they playing ball and bothering to be good citizens, when others are out there just writing their own ticket. Digital skimming, stealing phones off people in the street (has happened to me) stealing watches, breaking and entering.

I've taken some extra measures now that I'm a parent to ensure the safety of my home. I'm also going to share some other lifestyle tips on how to make your overall life more secure.

RING DOORBELL

I have four now, each at every vantage point in the house. The annual membership to get these all synced up so you can record event history (I.E record footage of people breaking in to your front door, rather than just seeing it happen live through the app) is £80 a year. That also comes with an insurance package. At the time of writing this they are half price on AMAZON.

TIP: Every morning when you sit on the toilet, go through the event history from the night before and make sure there's no one breaching the perimeter, apart from the neighbours cat and foxes.

ARENTI

I have two indoor cameras installed in the eventuality we need to record a home invasion, or see unwanted motion whilst we are out of the house.

TIP: Good practice to inform your house sitter, cleaner etc that you have indoor cameras.

TACTICAL WALLS

A US Brand, that specialises in concealment rooms, walls, mirrors etc. Shipping to the UK means you have to purchase something over £135. But the frameless mirrors look fantastic, they have a subtle locking mechanism that can't be seen by the naked eye. The top locking concealment shelf is one of their most popular items. Perfect for securing rifles up to 42" in length. If you're reading this Tactical Walls reach out to me, I'd love to collaborate.

WHERE TO STORE THE SAFE? 

A safe is a good idea, just think about the most common areas robbers look? Robbers tend to upturn desks and mattresses because they're in a hurry. But let’s think about what we can do to prevent people getting to the safe in the first place. You can place privacy tint on the windows and draw your curtains at night.

Ask your handyman about secure heavy front doors, heavy screen doors and hinges that can be secured with 3" structural screws. If you're having a safe inside the closet, secure it with butcher block magnets.

Ultimately an angle grinder will defeat most safes. It's all about time when it comes to burglars. Give them as little time as possible inside the house. For example, bolt the cupboard doors in every room of the house when you leave. Keep them guessing which closet has the safe.

ALARMS FOR HOME 

Having an alarm go off in the house is just another way to hurry the burglar along. The less time they have in your property, the better it is for you. I've been hearing a lot about Simpli Safe when it comes to alarms, they are advertising on a lot of podcasts I listen to. If anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them.

Simple things you can do: 

Windows locked but securely. Best ones I've seen reviewed online are Lion Locks. Although most locks are not as strong as the glass so more than likely robbers will attempt to break in through the windows. I'm looking at glass breaking sensors for under ten pounds. Getting a light motion sensor for the vulnerable spots in your home is a great idea. (Typically the ones that are not in view of the street). I have three good ones, and two just average ones. We had an electrician round to install ours, I recommend getting an electrician to come round and do it all as a job lot.

• Let the neighbours know you're away and swap details.

• Get a sign that says beware of the dogs. (Multiple).

• Fence protection strips will make robbers, especially the opportunists, think twice.