Securing Your Home for the Summer Holidays

Security alarm

Summer has finally arrived and the holiday season is about to hit its stride as tens of thousands of people across Scotland head away. However, the school holidays also represent peak season for burglars. Empty properties are an easy target for housebreakers and burglary rates often rise sharply during the summer.

A survey by Cumbria Police last year suggested 40 per cent of burglaries could have been prevented by a combination of basic security and common sense. And while every Cruden home features sophisticated door locks and secure double-glazed windows, we encourage homeowners to enhance this built-in protection with a few strategic additions…

  • A burglar alarm provides peace of mind and the fitting of external bell boxes to the front and back of your property adds a visual deterrent. Police-monitored systems will summon the emergency services if you don’t respond to an alarm being triggered.
  • Cut a piece of wood, plastic tubing or a broom handle to size and wedge it under the back door handle. This stops the door being opened even if the lock is picked. The same can be done horizontally with patio doors, to prevent them sliding open.
  • Buy a decorative metal chain, tie it around French door handles and secure it with a cheap padlock. The chain will prevent either door opening even if it’s unlocked, and no burglar will really want to smash a seven-foot pane of glass to gain entry.
  • Put a bolt on your side gate and padlock it while you’re away. Thieves hate climbing gates because of noise, visibility and potential injury. Motion-sensing floodlights boost garden security, as do timer-controlled LEDs installed in your property’s soffits.

As well as physically protecting your property, common sense goes a long way too:

  • Never leave windows open for ventilation when you’re going away. Maintain freshness by opening trickle vents instead.
  • Check all external doors and windows are locked before you leave and do the same with outbuildings. Sheds and garages are often targeted for bikes and lawnmowers.
  • Cancel milk or newspaper deliveries and don’t order parcels in the days before you depart. Packages lying out on the doormat often indicate a property is empty.
  • Buy a pair of 24-hour timers. Use one to turn on a lamp at night, and the other to switch on a radio during the day. These will suggest the property is still inhabited.
  • Place valuables like car keys or tablet computers in cupboards, rather than leaving them out on show. A passing thief may be tempted to stage a smash-and-grab robbery.
  • Finally, don’t tell strangers who visit your home when you’re going to be away, just in case they don’t keep particularly good company.

 

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