Category Archives: Home Security

Home Security

Hi all,

So with the darker evenings now upon us, its time to think of your Home Security. To ensure you’ve protected you and your home as best you can. As you are more likely to get burgled between now and Christmas. Why ? well burglars love the cover of darkness. Not only that, but burglars know we will be all buying gifts for our loved ones. The average gift being around £50-£100 you are most likely going to have a couple hundred pounds worth of gifts. Phones, iPads, TV’s, Jewellery, Designer clothing.

So an ideal time for them to get high value items that are still boxed. That will be sold on for silly money compared to the prices that you paid for them goods. These people are ruthless and will rip open presents that are wrapped. They will reek havoc and not care for a moment. So there is a few things you can do to protect your home security and make it less likely to be a target.

Locks in the City, carry out many home security surveys, weekly.

Home security survey

Locks in the City arriving at a customers property for a free security survey

Firstly and most importantly DONT MAKE YOURSELF A TARGET. Dont advertise you have expensive gifts. It’s so easy to advertise on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. All social media is dangerous. As it doesn’t necessarily just go out to people you class as friends, it can be seen by anyone in the world if your security settings are not set. You may have people who you have met once or twice but you don’t necessarily know or can trust. They could be passing info on. Be weary. Photos of bags, is dangerous as it advertises where you’ve been shopping. Telling people that your off shopping is another advert your home will be empty for a couple hours. These people need minutes so think before posting.

Secondly before you go out ensure you have secured your property. Lock your windows, hide the keys. Lock your other doors, many people still lock the door but leave the key in the door. If they get in through a small window, then they can open the door and walk out off loading the big items with ease out of the door. Lock it and hide the keys, where they are least likely to be found. If doors and windows have additional locking points and devices then use them. If they are going to get in, then you want to make it as hard as possible. The more resistance and noisy the better, they will more then likely walk away.

Also if you have a Christmas tree up then either put it out of view, of all windows and view points where possible. If they look through a window, or are walking past and see a tree. They then look in, presents are in view its like showing a child sweets. The decorations won’t be the only thing lighting up !!!!!!. if the tree can’t be put out of view then don’t put the presents under the tree. Put them in the loft if you have one. High value items hide away, in places where they wouldn’t usually go. Kitchens, bathrooms, hidden cubby holes. These people will usually riffle through high value rooms/ spaces. Bedrooms, living rooms, garages etc.These people will go through chest of drawers, wardrobes, bedside cabinets.

Safe and sound

Safes supplied and fitted

Locks in the City, can supply safes for all applications

We advise you look at installing a safe to store your high end goods such as watches, jewellery, iPads and documents. We can help select and instal the right safe for you. One issue we have come across is people buying digital safes but not securing them down. So the burglars will just carry them away and open up after.

If your planning on going away during the day and evenings look at purchasing a Response Fake TV. It gives the impression of a TV flickering light, an unpredictable pattern of flashing light.

Also if your away for a night or so try have a neighbour keep an eye out. If your friendly enough and trust your neighbours ask them to pop in and turn on and off different lights. Park their car on your drive etc.

Bright Ideas to help improve your home security

Also invest in External L.E.D Flood lights with P.I.R sensors. These will pick up people walking up to your property, flooding the area with light. The L.E.D ones you can get now are relatively cheap now and are low wattage and power consumption compared to the old halogen ones. Fitting these in dark areas will also add as a visual deterrent. Also securing side gates, fitting locks that require keys or coded padlocks. Simple slide bolts can just be opened. Secure fences and repair any hole or broken panels. Look at creating high fencing by adding trellis, to make it more awkward and a less of a deterrent. Store and secure ladders and tools away that can be used to aid in gaining entry into your property. Anything that can be used to stand on to climb through windows etc move away.

One other crucial thing that will help is to install an alarm. Many people have them installed but fail to use them. Using your alarm will benefit you hugely. As the alarms today are more reliable, more advanced with options that people don’t realise are available. We supply and fit alarms often. Sadly though we fit them to properties after they have been burgled. We will come out and do a survey on your property, we will look at areas that are vulnerable. Best advise where to put sensors whether its a motion sensor or a window and door sensor. We will create a bespoke set up for each individual property for each and every customer for their home security . We supply alarms that are smart. These alarms can be installed relatively quickly as they are wireless apart from one power lead and a phone line. Once installed the alarm if triggered will call you !!!! not an alarm monitoring centre. It cuts out the middle man and keeps you in control. The alarm when triggered can call 3 telephone numbers. It will ring one number, if no one does then it will ring the next one. It will cycle through the numbers until the call is accepted and acknowledged. We can also eliminate the need to type in codes to arm and disarm the alarm. We can supply remote controls that you can put on your keys. Keep in your pocket etc. Then the press of a button arm or disarm your alarm. If you away from home and you can’t remember if you set alarm !!! no issue you can ring into the alarm system and check its status, arm, disarm or even set to home mode. For more info contact us regarding your home security.

Home security

Locks in the City, preparing to install an alarm at a customers home. Improving their home security

 

CCTV seeing is believing

Another popular addition is CCTV, its getting cheaper as an option now. the cameras are getting smaller and the quality higher. You can buy DVR’s that store 100’s of hours of footage. Apps that allow you to remotely view your cameras on your smart phone or tablet. So you can always check in. These are also getting cheaper to buy and are a great visual deterrent.  Again contact us for more info or queries, regarding your home security.

 

We can attend your property at a pre-arranged time to suit you. Carry out a free survey and home security check and point out any areas of concern. We can then carry out the works if agreed swiftly at a time thats convenient to you. So be prepared and don’t have your Christmas spoiled.

On that note, we at Locks in the City would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Summer Home Security Advice

With the recent hot weather all over the UK, Locks in the City would like to offer some Summer Home Security advice. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, we feel it covers the main points for keeping your home as secure as possible during Summer.

Lock Your Door

Locks in the City are the local locksmith firm for Dagenham, London and surrounding areas.This may sound like rather obvious advice. We all lock the door when we go out to work for the day. Do you lock the door if you’re out working/socializing in your back garden all day though? If not, you should do. Many of the jobs required in the garden over the Summer involve noisy equipment. Mowing the lawn, cutting hedges etc all involve tasks where your hearing is, at best, limited. The likelihood is, that you wouldn’t hear anyone walking straight into your home off the street. In the time it takes to cut, edge and dispose of the grass cuttings from an average sized lawn, a potential burglar could have stolen hundreds of pounds worth of your valuables. Locking your front/main entrance door, is a simple way to drastically reduce this risk.

Lock Your Windows

Locks in the City are the local locksmith firm for Dagenham, London and surrounding areas.Recent temperatures in London have been hot, really hot. Understandably, there is a temptation to leave first floor windows open, even when residents leave home for the day. Locks in the City’s advice is DON’T! Leaving a window (even first floor) open all day whilst you are out, is an open advertisement to a would be thief. If you are worried about the room getting too warm whilst you are out, draw the curtains to limit how much sunlight penetrates the room. Shut and lock the window before you go out. Ensure that you properly shut and lock all of your windows, not just the ones on the ground floor. If you have uPVC windows and absolutely have to let some fresh air in, lock your window in the ‘ajar’ position. However, we would not advise that you do this with any windows on the ground floor of your property.

Secure Your Shed

Locks in the City are the local locksmith firm for Dagenham, London and surrounding areas.Most garden sheds house a myriad of expensive items. Ranging from the lawn mower to the family bicycles. Consequently, it is worth investing in some worthy protection. Your shed, is after all, an extension of your home. Ensure that the doors are fitted correctly and that they both close completely flush to the hinge and to each other. If your shed has a window, consider boarding it up (from the inside) to make it more secure. If you don’t wish to board it up, at least obscure the view from the window to prevent prying eyes looking in at your property. Secure the doors with a sturdy padlock and chain. Check that the padlock and chain meet your home insurance requirements and that the contents of your shed are adequately covered.

 Security Whilst You Are Away On Holiday

Locks in the City are the local locksmith firm for Dagenham, London and surrounding areas.To successfully leave your home at it’s most secure whilst you are away on holiday, you need to make it appear as though you are still at home! Below are a few hints to help you with this process.

  • Under NO circumstances, state on social media that you are away on holiday! Anybody could quite easily find out where you live, depending on your privacy settings. A potential burglar would know how much time they have to safely remove all of your valuable possessions – without the fear of being caught, if you have just updated your status on Facebook with the fact that you are away and for how long!
  • Ensure that someone puts your bin out for you on the allocated day. If you don’t have any rubbish then ask the person helping you to wheel your bin out anyway. If you still have bag collections then ask your helper to put one of their bags out in front of your house.
  • Make sure that your post is either collected/removed from the letter box on a daily basis and put out of sight. Alternatively you can arrange with your Post Office to have your mail delivered to an alternative address whilst you are away.
  • Ask a friend/neighbour to water all pots & plants at the front of your home and if possible to mow the grass.
  • If possible, ask a friend or relative to open and close your curtains each day.
  • Give the illusion that you and your family are still at home by setting timer switches for table lamps at different times in different places, throughout the house/apartment.
  • Cancel your milk round. An ever increasing supply of pints of milk sat on your doorstep, clearly shows that nobody is at home!

Should you require any further help or guidance regarding the security of your home and/or business premises then please do not hesitate to call Locks in the City on 07921 000672 or 0800 955 8672. Alternatively you can email us from our contact page.

With thanks for the use of the photograph of the shed to Tenchi uder the Public Domain licence.