For a more secure home, here are a few things to remember. Tips from your friendly neighbourhood locksmith!
Image by Steffen Salow from Pixabay
At Hashtag Locksmiths, we regularly get called out to homes that have been burgled.
Sometimes householders need new locks because a key has fallen into the wrong hands. At times we have installed window locks after old wooden framed windows have been forced open. Sometimes we need to add deadbolts to doors that previously only had a simple lock mechanism. In some cases, a back door was opened by an intruder from outside smashing a glass pane in the door and reaching through and simply unlocking it.
There are thousands of burglaries in Perth each year. Being prepared and making your home as secure as possible will often deter would-be robbers.
Make sure your backdoor and windows are secure.
Some homes have a front door built to withstand a battering ram but a back door that is easily accessible to intruders applying a small amount of force. If your home has a back lane, or your front door is quite exposed, it’s more likely burglars will try around the back.
Glass panes indoors are often easily breakable and if you have a simple press button lock, it can be a simple and quick entry point for an unwanted visitor.
Windows that are hidden from view are also often targeted as a means of entry. Windows should be securely locked when not specifically open and in use.
And importantly, don’t leave windows or doors unlocked when you go out. Even if you are just heading out for a short time, ensure your home is locked uptight. Burglars only need a brief time window to get in and out, leaving with your valuables. All potential entry points need to be locked and securely fastened.
It’s best not to hide a spare key outside.
While your parents may have been doing this for years, hiding a spare key under the front door mat is a bad idea. The same goes for the meter box or in the pot plant or under that rock in the garden. You might be surprised how often people gain access through spare keys hidden around the place.
Placing a key with a neighbour or a friend nearby is a much better idea to keep your home secure.
Don’t tell the world you are away by sharing your holiday snaps on Facebook!
Those Instagram posts showing your feet by the pool in the resort might make us all jealous about your great holiday but they also let crooks know your house is vacant. Burglars almost always target homes that they know to be unoccupied.
It’s such a common thing to do, we barely give it a second thought, but we need to be more circumspect about the information we share on social media.
So remember, it only takes thieves minutes to enter and ransack your home. The more difficult you make it for them, the less likely you are to be robbed. Take that spare key out from behind that potted fern and place it with a neighbour you can trust. And stop posting your holiday pictures on social media.
Call Hashtag Locksmiths today to discuss the installation or upgrading of your locks. Be prepared and be safe.