Making your home more secure to deter burglars doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Fitting a security light is a great deterrent against burglars and can be very handy as the Winter nights draw in. You don’t need a mega-wattage fitting that will scorch the grass from 10 metres, a 150 watt halogen floodlight with a PIR (passive infra red) detector should be sufficient for the average home and there will be little chance of you upsetting your neighbours when it is switching on and off. They can also be physically set at an angle so as not to be intrusive. The light fitting should have instructions for all the settings, e.g. ‘on’ time duration and light level before it operates.

These fittings are inexpensive, cheap to run and fairly easy to fit. With the Part P regulations that are in force you may need to use the services of a qualified electrician. I would supply the unit via a 13 amp switch fuse spur with the fuse downgraded to 2 or 3 amp dependant on the lamp wattage, this is for two reasons : -

1. If the fitting develops a fault due to water ingress, etc, the fuse in the spur will blow rather than the circuit fuse.
2. These fittings usually have an override facility which enables you to switch them on for as long as required, say for an evening barbecue in the Summer, this is done by switching the supply off and on within 2 or 3 seconds at the spur, and when you have finished using the light, simply switch off, wait 10 seconds or more, and switch back on, the light fitting should return to its normal mode.

Don’t forget when the halogen lamp needs replacing make sure the fitting is switched off and the fuse removed, and never touch the glass of the new lamp with bare fingers, use a cloth or tissue as the oil / grease in the skin can create hot spots on the lamp and reduce its working life.

Start checking how secure your property is by trying to think like a burglar would, where would he gain access, if a door or window is locked how easily can the lock be overcome, is there a ladder free to use in the back garden or garage that isn’t locked or chained up, how dark is it at the back of the house, these are just a few points to consider.

Aside of purchasing a dog, which is the best deterrent against a burglar, you can fit various security devices to make life as difficult as possible for them, the obvious one is an alarm system which can be purchased from most of the larger DIY stores (B & Q are currently selling an expandable wired alarm system for around £60). They are quite easy to install and depending on the type you buy can be fitted in a day. The easier ones to fit are totally reliant on battery power, other types have a 240 volt supply to the alarm panel and a cable to the bellbox with either battery powered or cabled PIRs and door contacts. All these alarm systems will come with detailed fitting instructions and if necessary wiring diagrams.

Security lighting is unpopular with burglars as they obviously would prefer not to be seen. Fitting this is a relatively inexpensive way of guarding your property. (See Security Lights post).

Check all your door locks are in good order and cannot be opened easily if the door has its glass panes broken by a would be intruder.

Window locks are fitted to almost all modern double glazing units and therefore provide good security, the problem is whether you use them or not, I have spoken to firemen about window locks and they said ‘ we tell you to leave them unlocked, the police will tell you to lock them ‘, it comes down to personal choice and circumstance. In my home all family members are of a responsible age and I therefore lock the windows leaving keys accessible in each bedroom and everyone is aware of what to do should a fire occur.

Making sheds and garages secure is again relatively simple to do, install shed / garage alarms which can be purchased again from B & Q for around £10 and fit good quality padlocks, on sheds remove some or all of the hinge and sliding bolt fixing screws and replace them with coach bolts that have a rounded head, there is no point in fitting a quality padlock if the hinges (which are usually external) can be removed easily with a screwdriver.

Replace screws with coachbolts