Security Improvements For Your Home This Summer


Summer is well upon us – to the relief of many. It’s a season that’s much-loved in North Wales, where a few weeks of sporadic sunshine grant that essential relief from the rest of the year’s overcast grimness. And so, homeowners across the land will be venturing out into the garden and soaking up the rays. But there’s reason for homeowners to be cautious about the season, too; for summer is the time of year at which burglary is at its most prevalent.

In this article, we’ll examine why this might be the case, and see exactly what can be done to combat this seasonal threat.

Why are burglaries more common during the summer?

protect and insurance real estate conceptThere are many competing theories as to why burglars might be emboldened at this time of year. Perhaps the intense heat causes them to become more willing to take risks, or less able to take note of them; perhaps it causes homeowners to let their guard down, leaving high-value items on display; perhaps it’s because of all of the holiday time we as a nation take during the summer.

The true explanation is likely a combination of all of these factors and more. When evaluating one’s home security, it’s perhaps more useful to consider the problem as twofold, and ask oneself a pair of questions: what rewards might a potential burglar gain upon entering your property, and what risks might they incur in the attempt?

Our efforts to increase home security should be aim to make the rewards seem pitiful, and the risks seem insurmountable. This will encourage a would-be intruder to look for easier prey elsewhere. Let’s examine some of the opportunities which arise for a burglar during summer, and what might be done to minimise them.

Holidays

As we’ve mentioned, summer is the time of year at which most of us choose to take our annual leave, hop onto a plane and spend a week or two in sunnier climes. Naturally, this presents an opportunity to would-be burglars, as the risk of targeting an empty house will be far lesser than those of attacking an occupied one.

For this reason, it’s important to ensure that you disguise your absence. Make sure that newspapers and milk aren’t delivered during your break, or have someone pick them up on your behalf. Keep a few lights on – or, even better, put them onto an automated cycle to give the house the impression of being occupied.

Open windows

During summertime, many of us choose to ventilate our homes by opening a window and allowing a cool breeze in. Clearly, this presents a point of entrance for would-be intruders, particularly if the windows in question are on the ground floor. You’ll want to ensure that you remember to close any windows you decide to open – particularly if you’re going to be leaving the house.

Items on display

We’ve looked at steps to maximise the risks for a burglar – but we should also examine the potential rewards for a burglary. A lot of high-value goods on display is usually a culprit, here. Suffice to say, if you leave an enormous pile of cash on your kitchen coffee-table before heading out to work, any burglar who happens to peer through the window will probably make the effort to break in.

But really, these extreme situations rarely occur – few people leave piles of cash lying in full view. A far more common mistake is to leave gardening equipment out overnight. We must consider that a pair of shears, a trowel and a gardening fork has a great deal of value on the black market relative to the risks a burglar might incur by hopping over the fence – and so leaving such items out is effectively no less sensible than leaving cash on display. Minimise the risk to your property by ensuring that such items are stowed safely away in a suitable shed.

Fences and Gates

We should also consider the physical barriers which a burglar must surmount in order to gain access to your property, ie. the fences, walls, hedges and gates which surround it. You needn’t transform your home into a fortress in order to improve these areas, either – several simple devices are available from a reputable timber and plumber merchant in North Wales.

You might limit unauthorised road access to your property. Gates in North Wales are an effective means of policing such access. Similarly, the addition of a hedgerow at the top of a fence will make that fence a great deal more difficult to climb. With a few simple measures, you can ensure that your home is well-protected against would-be intruders – leaving you free to enjoy the summer!