How You Can Carry Out Your Own Home Security Survey

Home Security Survey

Before investing in security equipment or arranging for a security company or the police to carry out a security survey of your property, it is a good idea for you to carry out your own survey. You may be amazed at what you discover. Many of the weak points you find in your survey could easily be rectified by changes in procedures and or spending a few pounds on beefing up the most vulnerable areas. You can always get the police or a security company to carry out a further home security survey to back up your own findings if you are unsure.

Walk round your home and gardens with a pad and pen looking for all vulnerable entry points. Look at your home, outbuildings and garden from a burglar’s point of view.

Imagine that you are a burglar wanting to break into your home without getting caught.

• Where would you enter?
• Where could you hide?
• When would you enter?
• How would you enter?
• What do you think would give you away or put you at most risk?
• Where could you exit if things went wrong?

A good place to start your home security survey is with the perimeter of your property. This is the boundary line where your property joins the street and or your neighbour's property/properties. Walk past your house, assessing it from the street, take a good look at your house and the garden.

Remember that burglars fear two things, being heard and being seen, therefore most home security protection focuses on these two areas. Make a list of all your vulnerable areas – you may be surprised. Ask yourself, what would deter a burglar from trying to break into my property?

• As you look at the front of the house is the front door clearly visible?
• Are there bushes, shrubs and walls that can hide someone trying to open your front door?
• Can the windows be seen clearly?
• Does the house look well cared for?
• Do doors to the house and garage look secure and sturdy?

• Are there any gaps and holes in the boundary?
• Are there any climbing places?
• Are there any hiding places?
• How many entrances are there and where are they?

If the boundary looks easy to climb over consider the following:

• For walls, try growing prickly bushes or climbing plants on the ground below the wall and up the wall to deter intruders.
• For fences, wobbly trelliswork on top of the fence makes them difficult to climb, consider prickly plants as well.
• If you have a shared boundary with a neighbour or if a boundaries upkeep is your neighbour's responsibility, speak to them. It is in both your interests to improve security.

Now, look at the house itself, but first - STOP. Pause for a few minutes and imagine this situation - you have just arrived back to your empty house and realise you have forgotten your keys. How would you get in? Ignore the possibility that your neighbour may have a spare set of keys.

• Are there spare keys hidden somewhere?
• Is there a door or window that is always left open?
• Is there a door or window that you know is easy to open?
• Can you get into the house through the garage?
• Are there any ladders lying around that you could use?
• Are there any flat roofs that you could use (perhaps by standing on something easily moved like a wheelie bin), to gain access to an upper window?
• Will you be able to get in without making much noise and without being seen?
• Will you be able to get in without causing any or hardly any damage?

Now look at the building as a whole.

• Are there drainpipes that can be climbed? If they are cast iron, have you coated them with anti-climb paint to prevent climbing?
• Are there any flat roofs that give access to upper windows? If so have you fitted these more vulnerable windows with additional security?
• Are there walls, wheelie bins, trees or other items to assist climbing?
• Are there any bricks, pieces of wood, metal or other items left lying around which a burglar could use to smash a window?
• Could a burglar easily get into a shed or other outbuilding to find something to help them break in?

Now lets consider the door and entrances to your home.

• Are the frames sound and do they fit well to the building structure without any gaps?
• What is the thickness of the door?
• Does the door look sturdy and does it fit properly in the frame?
• Does the door have wooden or glass panels?
• Are these resistant to kicking or breaking?
• Are any weak points on the door reinforced, if they are not , could they be?

Take a close look at locks, hinges and any bolts on the doors.

• How many locks are there on the door?
• Do the doors open inwards or outwards?
• Can the locks be double locked from inside the house?
• If there are bolts fitted, do they fit well and do you use them?

Wooden doors should have 2 locks (at least one of which conforms to British Standard 3621) - a 5 lever mortice lock and a cylinder rim lock, ideally one which can be double locked from inside with a key. For further advice consult a locksmith who is a member of the Master Locksmith Association and or your insurance company.

Hinges must be securely fastened to the frame and capable of taking the weight of the door. Where a door opens outwards and the hinges are exposed to the outside, hinge bolts should be fitted to prevent the door being removed by knocking out the hinge pin.

Take a good look at the letterbox and any windows close to the front door.

• Can you see inside the hall from any windows by the front door?
• Can you see inside the front hall by looking through the letterbox?
• How far can you get your arm through the letterbox?
• Can you reach the door locks?
• Can you see keys lying around or on hooks (house, garage ,cars)?

If you have patio doors or French windows check out the following:

• Can the patio door be lifted up and out of the frame?
• What kind of glass is fitted?
• Do the doors open outwards?
• Patio doors and French windows should be fitted with toughened glass, which is more for safety than security. Laminated glass is not cost effective for such large areas.

If French doors open outwards, then hinges will be on the outside so hinge bolts need to be fitted (see above).
Now look at the windows to your home.

• Are the frames in good condition?
• Are there any gaps between the frame and the building structure?
• Does the glass fit properly?
• Is the glass cracked?
• Is the putty or other fixing sound?

Doors and windows security

Seek advice from a member of the Master Locksmiths association about which locks to use. If the windows are PVCu double glazed, check with the manufacturer.

Fire Precautions

As a result of improving security, you may have to revise your fire security plan. You don’t want your secure home to be a trap if a fire develops.

Remember:

Security provisions should take priority when the home is unoccupied Fire safety provisions should take priority when the home is occupied

If you have a security alarm fitted:

• When was it last serviced?
• Do you check it regularly?
• If you have extended the house, does the alarm cover the extension?
• Does it or should it cover your outbuildings?
• Is the keyholders list up to date?

Finally, take a look at any sheds, garages or other outbuildings.

• Are the buildings themselves sturdy and sound?
• Are they capable of being securely locked?
• Are the doors sound?
• Are the windows sound?
• Are there visible hinges on doors?
• Is there access to the house from one of these buildings?
• Is anything of value kept in there?
• Is anything kept in there that may assist someone to break into the house?

You should complete a home inventory list for your property, listing all belongings, especially useful if you have to make an insurance claim.

After you have completed your survey in daylight, you should also check the situation after dark, go outside and take another look at the house, especially at the back and sides.

• Is it very dark?
• Is the property well protected with motion activated security lights, are they working, are there blind spots where someone could approach the house undetected?
• Could someone see your valuable items through the windows (lights on, curtains not drawn)?
• Could someone approach the house and get quite close without being seen?
• Would someone be able to spend sometime trying to get into the house without being seen?
• Are there more hiding places now?

That's it. Although this survey is quite comprehensive, it is obviously not practical to write one for every eventuality or house design. If you do nothing more, ask yourself the question -"How do I get in without a key?" If the answer is "easily"- do something about it NOW!
Safes
Security cameras
Home alarms

Points to Note

• 20% of burglaries are due to unlocked doors or open windows. Always lock up properly – all windows and doors (it only takes a minute or two and will keep your property safe), even if you are only going to be away or out of site of the premises for a few minutes. A snatch and run intruder can grab a handful of money or valuables and be gone before you return.
• Burglars enter through doors more than two thirds of the time
• 6% of burglars get in under false pretences
• Burglars enter through windows nearly one third of the time, make sure that they are secure and are fitted with good window locks. Remove the keys from the locks and keep them out of sight, but close to the windows in case you need to exit by them in an emergency.
• Remove all keys from locks and store out of sight of windows and letterboxes.
• Don’t leave easy to carry valuables such as wallets, handbags, jewellery, or cameras in view through ground floor windows.
• If your property has been broken into once, it probably will be again, within a few weeks of the first burglary. The burglar knows that you will replace all of the stolen goods through your insurance policy, with new products.

For additional information, including hundreds of tips on how to protect your family, see our NEW security and safety book 'How to Protect your Family and Belongings Now'

Don’t wait until you have been burgled – ACT NOW, prevention is often cheaper and certainly far less stressful than the sorting out after a burglary.

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