Every homeowner wants to do what they can to ensure that their home is protected from intruders and burglars. The thought of having someone inside your home when you're not there, or worse again, when you are tucked up in bed asleep, is frightening. Nobody wants to feel at risk, especially in their own home. Your house should be your sanctuary, a safe place for you and your family to live together, in the knowledge that you are all protected from harm.

However, while this is what all honest people want from their home, unfortunately, there are those out there who will rob you of that sense of security and anything else they can get in the process if given the chance. Security is an important issue in our world today but even if crime rates rise, we shouldn't let fear get the best of us. While installing security doors in Melbourne homes is a great option and having your home secured with a security system will help, educating yourself about how burglars successfully break into homes is often overlooked as a line of defence.  

Let’s take a look at how you can keep your home protected from intruders and ensure that it truly is a sanctuary for and your family.

Establish a Sense of Community With Your Neighbours

Having monthly meetings with your neighbours is a great way to build a sense of community in your area. You should take steps to establish a goal to keep an eye out for suspicious activity in your neighbourhood and help each other out to stay protected. Studies have shown that neighbourhood watch programs can help reduce criminal activity and assist the police in finding criminals in record time.

If and when a burglary takes place, the police response time can be reduced if a concerned neighbour reports suspicious activity immediately. Reporting individuals who are loitering on the premises or even taking pictures of such individuals can help police to take the best line of action. However, it’s important to always ensure your own safety first, never to take the law into your own hands and never to take any unnecessary risks.

Be Aware of Peak Hours

Contrary to popular belief, most burglaries happen at 12pm or 5pm when many people are at work. As so many homes are unoccupied during these peak hours, it's best to take the necessary precautions to prevent a burglary while you’re away. Since burglars tend to target homes that appear to be empty, a smart idea is to make it seem as if someone is home at these high-risk times. You can use a timer to trigger lights to turn on, leave the radio on and turned up loud or try setting an alarm on your television so that it's programmed to turn on automatically at these times.

Hide your Valuables

Keeping your valuables out of sight can be helpful in keeping burglars out of your home. If you leave your expensive jewellery on a dresser just inside your bedroom window or you have the car parked in the drive with the keys clearly hanging on the wall inside the door you are giving the burglar an incentive to risk breaking in. You don’t need to clear everything away every time you go out but just get into the habit of keeping expensive items out of sight. Laptops, mobile phones, jewellery and money can easily be located and taken if they are visible from the window.

Keep Your Home Safe And Secure

There is a huge range of modern security options available for homeowners nowadays. From wireless security systems to monitored alarms and security cameras that can be viewed remotely, homeowners have more choice than ever in how to protect their home. However, even with these systems installed, criminals can still find their way into your home. Take some time to engage with your community, always lock your doors and windows, keep valuables out of sight and be aware of the risks and you can ensure that your home stays safe and secure going forward.