Home security should be the top priority of any homeowner, and by following these top tips you can help protect your home and loved ones from criminals.

With so many options on the market, knowing which home security measures to put in place can be a daunting task.

Luckily, here at Central FS, we are here to help.

To help you build the strongest home security system possible, we have used our expertise and many years of experience in the security industry to put together this guide to the 10 best and most cost-effective ways to protect your home from burglars and thieves.

1. Protect your doors and windows

If a criminal cannot get into your home in the first place, the potential damage they can do is significantly reduced.

Far too many home burglaries in the UK come as a result of a unlocked window or door and merely ensuring to lock up properly both when leaving the home and at night is an easy and extremely effective way to reduce the chances of being targeted.

If you are leaving your home for a prolonged period, double and triple check every door and window as if you do not, and there is an incident, your insurance will likely be invalid.

2. Upgrade your locks

Locking your doors and windows is great, but if you have low quality locks in place this will prove no real obstacle for a determined criminal.

Make sure all exterior doors have a deadlock instead and that the frames and hinges used on your doors and windows are strong enough to withstand a substantial force.

Modern double glazed windows fitted with multi-point locking systems are particularly secure.

3. Install a home security system

The best all-round defence there is against potential burglars, a home security system involves a combination of CCTV cameras and burglar alarms that will monitor your property constantly, and alert you to any suspicious activity.

Security cameras will allow you to keep an eye over your entire property at one time, alerting you to activity in your garden or at the front door, whilst motion detector alarms will sound a loud audio alarm if triggered, scaring off intruders and alerting residents and neighbours to the situation.

Modern security systems can be accessed from anywhere in the world via a mobile device, letting you access your CCTV footage from your phone, and alerting you to any alarm activations.

For maximum protection, you can even install a monitored alarm system that will automatically alert a local security firm if activated who will respond appropriately and alert the emergency services.

4. Hide valuable items

Before physically targeting a property, a burglar will often scope it out ahead of time, ensuring they only hit houses with something worth stealing.

For this reason, keep valuable items such as electronics, jewellery, and cash out of sight from ground level windows when not in use.

You should also make sure that you are closing blinds and curtains at night and when the room is not in use to avoid spying eyes from taking a peek.

Also, ensure that bikes and other expensive outdoor equipment such as electric tools are stored away in your garage and not left lying around in the front garden where they will be guaranteed to attract unwanted attention.

5. Install Lighting

The last thing that an intruder wants when entering your property is to be lit up in a spotlight for all to see.

This is the benefit of outdoor lighting, especially motion detection lighting, that will illuminate those approaching your home in the dark, catching them off guard and often causing burglars to turn on their heels and leave before being identified.

6. Create an illusion of activity

Just because your home is empty, doesn’t mean everyone needs to know about it.

Leaving an interior light, or the TV/Radio on when leaving home is a good way to produce the illusion that someone is home.

7. Buy a safe

Consider buying a lockbox to store your most valuable small items such as family heirlooms and sentimental photos.

On the off-chance that the worst happens and an intruder makes it into your home, this will limit the damage done and protect your most prized possessions.

8. Be careful with your spare key

Leaving a spare key under your doormat or in a similar ‘safe’ place is asking for trouble.

Instead, leave a key with a neighbour or trusted friend living nearby in case of emergency.

9. Lock your outbuildings

With so much attention on home security, it can be easy to forget to lock up your garage, shed, or another outbuilding.

However, with expensive equipment, tools, and materials stored within, it is important to remember this as if your home looks like too much of a challenge, a burglar’s attention could swiftly switch to other nearby buildings.

10. Contact a security firm

If you are looking to maximise your home security, talk to the experts at Central FS today.

Call us now on 0141 673 1244 or email us at info@centralfs.co.uk.