A break in – how to reduce the risk of it

Having a burglary is often a worse experience than you can imagine. In addition to getting rid of valuable things, the feeling that someone unknown has gone around and rotating among your belongings might be the hardest. On top of that, all the drawers and closets may be drained and everything is messed up.

We at Locksecure.nl, your locksmith in Utrecht, have put together some advises on how to make it difficult for the thieves. 

There are two ways to prevent burglary. One is to make sure that the thief is not tempted to get into your house and the other is to make it as difficult as possible for the thief as it tries.

Obtain alarm
Many thieves avoid alarmed houses. However, if someone still gets in, it has a stressful effect, which means that the thief will not be able to go through your house as carefully. An alarm connected to security guard is therefore one of the most effective tips, but at the same time costs a slant.

Collaborate with your neighbors
Tell the neighbors that you’re leaving! Looking for each other’s house is proven efficiently, especially if neighbors can help get your empty house to be inhabited. It may be about shoveling snow in the winter or cutting the grass in the summer. But just to park on the neighbor’s driveway or drive up to make trails in the snow, walk on the corridors to get footprints around the house, empty the mailbox and throw garbage into the bin make a big difference.

Sometimes the thief expands himself, for example, to craftsmen to make it easier to melt. Keep an eye out if you see or hear something different. Do you think someone looks suspicious, ask who the person should visit. A thief wants to avoid being recognized and often abandons the area.

Look over the patio door
The usual front door is usually difficult to break through and also often appears well from the street. The patio doors, on the other hand, can both be fragile, have a bad lock and frame and are not rarely hidden from the surroundings. If you have a bad patio door with a single lock, switching it can be your first and most important measure to prevent burglary.

Install motion sensors
As darker out, the number of burglary increases. Make sure that the house is always properly lit or that the outside lights are lit via motion sensors if someone enters the plot. The thieves would rather work invisible in the dark.

Keep tools and tools locked
Do not help the thief on the traces by, for example, having tools or ladders in front of you. A ladder should be locked if it is stored outdoors.

Keep in mind where you keep valuables
Avoid having valuables in front of them. It may attract the thieves to break in, as they assume more to pick up when they are in. Try for safety to get hiding for your valuables that are tricky to find – the wardrobe or chest of drawers is not enough. Such as you are particularly afraid of, or who are difficult to replace, may be stored with someone else while you are away.

Document the most important
Should you, after all, be few burglars, the police and the insurance company will ask you for a list of what stolen. Many think it may be hard to remember everything afterwards, such as the jewelry that lay in the trunk. Therefore, it is very valuable to document the valuables. Photograph them, write down different identifiers and save manufacturing numbers and receipts. It helps both in the dialogue with your insurance company and increases the ability to recover things by allowing the police to track your goods.

Keep the front door locked
Last but not least – always have the front door locked, even when you’re home. Indeed, many burglars actually occur.