Before you install an alarm system, make sure you have considered basic security measures as well.
A good start is to walk around your home and ask yourself where you would break in if you were a burglar,
bearing in mind the advice of home security professionals, as summarised below:
- Front doors are the most common point of illegal entry. A door that cannot be ‘kicked in’
is an absolute necessity. This might mean installing a purpose built security door or the reinforcement
of an existing door with steel strips, hinge bolts and extra locks. - Properties at the sides of homes, that are not overlooked by neighbours,
are often a preferred entry point. If a fence or locked gate can stop a burglar getting to the side
and back of your home, it is worth considering. - Automatic lights triggered by the outside alarm system will scare away many potential burglars.
- Vulnerable windows can be secured with grills, shutters or ‘unbreakable glass’.
- Electronic locks on garage doors are harder to force than manual locks.