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Martin Luis Hewitt
Dec 22, 2010
Don't drill screws into your fence, like the previous contributer stated. In the UK, the homeowner is legally responsible for the protection and safety of visitors, including the unwanted kind. If an intruder hurt himself, or worse, was killed while on your property, you would face criminal charges against you. There are 'prickly' strips you can put on top of fences which are uncomfortable on hands, but not skin puncturing. Regardless, you must place a sign warning of possible injury should someone attempt to gain access to your property, without prior permission. -
countmein
Oct 19, 2010
Don't buy a house beside a sidewalk or green space. They make for quick and easy getaways. Even apartments with exterior doors beside an entranceway, particularly a rear one, are burglarized far more often than the rest.
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Aug 08, 2006
I am not a big fan of alarms because in my city of 2.5 million people 90% of all alarms are false alarms. This is not very comforting. Police do not rush to a monitored alarm knowing that of the 36,000 that were triggered last year 33,000 of them were false alarms. I prefer to harden the target. I bought a new product called the Door Safe System. You can get it on eBay. The Door Safe reinforces a door weakened by a lock and reinforces the door frame. According to the FBI 80% of break-ins are through a door. I recently learned that the weakest part of a door is the lock. The lock weakens the door and the deadbolt acts like a crowbar inside your door when a crook kicks it. If you research the real stats, an alarm doesn't stop a break and enter, it just tells you one has happened.
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Aug 08, 2006
I am not a big fan of alarms because in my city of 2.5 million people 90% of all alarms are false alarms. This is not very comforting. Police do not rush to a monitored alarm knowing that of the 36,000 that were triggered last year 33,000 of them were false alarms. I prefer to harden the target. I bought a new product called the Door Safe System. You can get it on eBay. The Door Safe reinforces a door weakened by a lock and reinforces the door frame. According to the FBI 80% of break-ins are through a door. I recently learned that the weakest part of a door is the lock. The lock weakens the door and the deadbolt acts like a crowbar inside your door when a crook kicks it. If you research the real stats, an alarm doesn't stop a break and enter, it just tells you one has happened.
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Nov 22, 2005
Have a working cell phone inside the home to call for help in case a prowler disconnects the regular phone line. You can also telephone the phone company from the safety of your home to order repair service for the regular telephone.
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Nov 22, 2005
It is better to leave a spare key with a relative (such as your parents), even if you have to drive a couple miles to pick it up. If you choose a neighbor, who later becomes upset with you or isn't as trustworthy as you thought, your home could be robbed without any signs of a break in. While you are gone, they have all day to rummage and take what they want. It may take you days or weeks to notice things are missing. This has happened to me. It is costly to change your door locks.
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Nov 22, 2005
Your phone system should have a main box where the incoming lines connect to your house. If this box is outside the house, the burglars could cut your phone and even the alarm. Have this box moved inside and leave the one outside as is, as a decoy.
