Home Security Checklist: Are You a Target for Criminals?

22nd January 2020

Did you know it can take a burglar five minutes to break into a home?

According to recent statistics from Budget Direct, more than 200,000 break-ins are recorded in Australia each year. Or one home every three minutes.

December and January are when properties are most at risk. Unsurprisingly, this is when theft spikes with these WA suburbs targeted the most.

But regardless of where you live in WA, home security is still an issue.  

To prevent your home from being a target, safeguard the property with this checklist.  

Home Security Cameras and Alarm for Property Surveillance

Security cameras and a functioning alarm system are the most common ways to deter thieves.

Yet many people with home alarms don’t turn them on.

Make sure surveillance cameras are working, with alarms routed to local police for a quick response or set up notifications to your smartphone. Even if you’re only away for 15 minutes, alarm systems should still be switched on.

Working security systems deter break-ins by 49.1%.

For effective measures, keep cameras visible but out of reach and use to monitor entryways.

Tip: The New Year is a time to review who knows your alarm code. Keep track of those with access to increase home security.

Lights and Landscaping

Security lighting and smart landscaping help secure your home.

Install motion detection lights near garages and doorways. Sensor lights and lights on inside the house show activity and scare off burglars. If you do go away, use smart sockets to control lights from a smartphone app or put them on automatic timers with varied schedules.

Maintain gardens to eliminate hiding spots and show thieves the house is regularly occupied.

Clear areas and trimmed trees also increase visibility for others to alert police in burglary attempts.

Take advantage of smart landscaping, such as low thorny shrubs and rose bushes. Plant by windows and entry points to prevent anyone from climbing up and breaking in.

Secure Doors and Windows

Perth summer can make it difficult to keep doors and windows secure.

But two-thirds of active burglars report entering homes through open doors and windows, so it pays to upgrade your defences.

Use security doors with an Australian Standard triple locking system. Consider investing in electronic smart door locks for extra safekeeping and add security mesh to windows and doors. Add a peephole to your main front and back doors or set up a doorbell camera.

Tip: Walk around your home (inside and out) to look for broken windows and door locks. Entry points you don’t use often are easily forgotten about. Check tears and gaps in security screens and fences too. Don’t forget your garage door and shed locks as well.

Be Smart about Parcels

More Australians are using online shopping, which has seen an increase in parcel theft direct from outside the home.

To prevent it from happening to you, use package tracking and set up email/phone alerts. Leverage options like post office lockers or put specific delivery instructions to avoid packages left in plain sight too long. Alternatively, if no one is home during the day use your work address as the delivery address.  

Don’t Attempt to Fool Criminals

Although crime rates have declined over the last decade, burglars are getting smarter.

Fake security cameras, obvious hiding spots for valuables (like your bedroom drawers), ‘beware of dog’ signs with no dog and minimal security because it feels unnecessary create open invitations to be a target.

Ready to increase your home security? Contact our staff about the right security products for you or follow our blog for the latest security tips.