Living on the Central Coast is wonderful but the risk of your home being broken in to is higher than other parts of the state. If you are serious about security for your home then you could spend many thousands of dollars trying to stop a thief from breaking in. At the end of the day, it’s really about reducing the risk because if a thief really wants to get it, they will. Having said that, no thief wants to get caught, therefore the more difficult it is to break in, the more risk to the thief of getting caught. The time factor plays an important roll in reducing the risk. The longer a thief is hanging around, the more anxious they will get and may decide to move on instead.

Beware of the Dog. Have you ever been frightened by a dog? If a thief thinks there’s a dog on your property, then they may just move on.

If a thief sees this sticker, then they will be expecting a siren or limited time to execute the robbery.

These signs are all just deterrents which is your first line of defense.

If you are trying to save money then a dummy camera is a good deterrent but it needs to be in a obvious place and also in a place where the thief will break in which I will talk about further on in this article.

While lock security is important, one of the first things I did to my house when I moved in was to get a sensor light installed. At night it’s one of the best lines of defense against theft.

Most doors around your house are vulnerable if they don’t have the right lock installed. Here is a couple of way of improving your door security.

Front and Back Doors: If it’s a single open in hinged door with timber jam, then the Lockwood 001 Deadlatch is without a doubt the best lock for the job. This is because it come with a door frame strengthener which dramatically reduces the risk of it being kicked in. The lockwood 001 also comes with anti-pick pins which makes it very hard to pick open.

These kinds of doors are in many homes and offer very little security. It’s best to have a patio bolt fitted on the inside of the door which makes it very hard to force open.

Usually built from aluminium, these doors can flex enough and open without too much force. Patio bolts fitted to the inside are best to beef up security.

There are a couple of options for windows. Factory fitted window locks are better than nothing but don’t stand up to forced entry very well. Installing after-market window locks is a good option. With these you have the option to leave the window locked open at approximately 100mm to let air circulate throughout the house.

Security screens over your windows give the best security and you can have the windows open all the way, even while you are not home. If money isn’t a factor, then security screens are the way to go.

Alarm: Alarms are great and draw attention to your neighbours, but only if your alarm is reliable and doesn’t false alarm all the time. With alarms you also have the choice to have back to base alarm or even a call to your mobile phone.

Closed Circuit TV has come a long way and there are many brand and options to choose from, probably too many. But the good news is that they are relatively cheap to buy and install and you can now have a live view straight back to your phone when a sensor has been activated by movement.

What kind of security for your home can vary depending on your land size, type of house, etc. For example, if you live on acreage with no close neighbours, then having just good locks on your doors may not be enough. Having a back to base alarm as well will give better security.

Thieves usually target doors and windows that are out of sight from the street and neighbours, so make sure these doors and windows have added security is advisable.

If you need any assistance with your security for your home or property, please give us a call. We are here to help!