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**MSE Martin** · 07-02-2006, 5:09 PM

What's it about?

It's always tricky to balance the cost of insurance, your possessions and security devices. So how can you make your home more secure without spending too much money?

What do I want you to do?

I thought I'd tap MoneySavers collective knowledge to find out... any security gurus (or former burglars for that matter!) or common sense planners out there?

Click reply to give your tips

Nile · 07-02-2006, 9:51 PM

A cheap way to protect your home while you're away is to ask a neighbour to check your home. A daily patrol around the house, especially pushing any post or newspapers sticking out of your letter box will help. You can reciprocate when the neighbour goes away.

Another cheapish security measure is to leave a radio playing downstairs when you got out. It will sound like there's someone in the house.

Use a timer switch to turn a lamp on in an upstairs room in the evenings.

Ask a neighbour to park their car on your drive or in front of your house when you're away on holiday, to give the illusion that you're at home.

If you'll be away for more than a week, ask a neighbour to use your dustbin. An empty dustbin is a sign that the house is unoccupied.

MoJo · 07-02-2006, 10:33 PM

You can get a free guide to Home Security at the bottom of this page:
http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/cpghs.htm

save-a-lot · 08-02-2006, 1:24 AM

Hi

This is not necessarily cheap, but if you are planning a garden anyway then defensive planting is the way to go. It could be cheap if you buy smaller plants and wait for them to grow however.

Some ways to protect your boundaries and under windows etc is to plant defensively, i.e. thorny shrubs that make entry a painful experience.

Another tip, on the top of fences place trellis, this will not hold the weight of someone and will break easily if someone attempts to climb over, combine this with defensive planting and that is a good measure to stop people crossing your boundaries. Also, it looks nice and does not give the impression it has been done purposefully.

Phil

save-a-lot · 08-02-2006, 7:40 AM

Hi

Done a quick search on Google and found this website that lists some good examples

http://www.securityadvisor.co.uk/planting.html

Cheers
Phil

Becles · 08-02-2006, 8:17 AM

I had a problem with children climbing over the 6 foot back fence to retrieve balls, rather than coming round and knocking on the door to ask for it back. I was worried in case they hurt themselves, and I was annoyed with damage to plants and my garden bench as they were climbing on that to get back over.

I bought some anti-vandal paint which only cost a few pounds. I painted that on the top of the fence. It stays sticky like tar, so will make a right mess on them if they climb over. After a couple of sticky fingers cases, the problem was solved.

Aril · 08-02-2006, 2:11 PM

When we joined our Neighbourhood Watch scheme one of the tips was-don't just leave your hall light on when you go out [this is what intruders expect people to do]- it's better to a light on upstairs aswell. If you're going to be away for some time a timer is also a good idea. The other thing is don't keep large amounts of cash in the house- a friend of ours recently lost her elderly father. He had been in hospital for a month and fortunately our friend had the sense to go in and clear the house [he had a large amount in a pressure cooker!] Within 24 hours the house had been burgled and they had even unscrewed the top off the tumbler drier looking for his savings. There probably isn't a hiding place you can think of that they don't already know about.
Aril

Volcano · 08-02-2006, 3:45 PM

Best timers are those 7 day ones. They allow you to programme 5 different on/off times each day over a week. As well as plugging this into a lamp I also have it connected to the radio tuned to radio 4 with the volume turned up to conversation level (this freaked me out once when I came back from a holiday to hear people arguing upstairs!)

looneyleo · 08-02-2006, 4:36 PM

Just a quick, simple and in-expensive solution to giving people a second thought before entering your property. Put a "Beware of the Dog" sign in your window, on your gate or door etc. We put one up for a dog we were looking after for a short time and it immediately stopped all visitors using the back entrace and they very carefully approached our front door. The dog has now left...but the sign has remained! Add a picture of a really big nasty looking dog too to make it more authentic!

looneyleo

bylromarha · 08-02-2006, 6:37 PM

Ask the local fire service to do a home safety check.

It's free, and they'll fit free smoke alarms if you don't already have them.

richcook · 08-02-2006, 7:22 PM

keep a son at home or rather make it to comfortable for them to leave

save-a-lot · 08-02-2006, 8:55 PM

Hi

I have been looking around on this subject and I have found some good general advice...

curteousy of here - http://www.senatetraining.co.uk/burglary+reduction.html - a snippet of an article about reduction of burgulary

Quote:

Statistics show that properties with little security are 15 times more likely to be burgled than those with good security.

The good news is that it doesn’t take much to secure your house – and put off thieves.

Safety checklist

• I’ve checked that all the doors and windows are locked – even if I’m just popping out for a minute.

• I’ve fitted deadlocks to all outside doors. (Burglars hate them because you need a key to open them from the inside as well as the outside.)

• I’ve made sure the deadlock key isn’t in an obvious place.

• I’ve fitted key-operated locks to all the windows. (Burglars don’t like having to break glass because of the noise it makes and the risk of leaving forensic evidence.)

• I’ve installed a visible burglar alarm, and turned it on!

• My spare keys are not hidden outside, or in the garage or shed. (Burglars always look there!)

• I’ve left the lights and the radio on a timer for the evening (as little as £2 each from DIY shops) so that it looks like I’m in.

• Thieves can’t get into the garden - there’s a good fence, the side gate is padlocked (and it will take more than a good kick to get through it), and the shed is locked.

• I’ve made sure the TV, video and other valuables can’t be seen from the window.

• There isn’t any cash lying around.

• It’s dark outside so I’ve closed the curtains and left a light on while I’m out.

I have marked the common sense and cheap points in red

Phil

reknaw · 08-02-2006, 9:18 PM

Are you at home now? Is it dark? Good. Go outside and look at your home. This is exactly as it should look when you are not there too! Look at the way the curtains are arranged, which lights are on, and what 'life noise' you can hear.

Timers are £3 at IKEA. Go buy!

nailbiter1 · 08-02-2006, 10:06 PM

Don't wait for the fire service if you haven't got an alarm there is no excuse fit one NOW. Less than a £5 on the high st, sometimes less than £4. Yes I'm a firefighter, yes I went to a fire recently where a whole family died.

Smiley_Mum · 08-02-2006, 10:06 PM

Info from the website of BBCs Beat the Burglar series.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/south...ry_crime.shtml

razzer · 08-02-2006, 10:51 PM

One neat idea to persuade the burglar that next doors house is easier to break into.....is putting down a gravel driveway....if you cant afford that....how about gravel around the house especially near windows and doors.

the effect is mucho NOISE.....one thing any potential thief dislikes.......Gravel won't need replacing and cant go wrong in anyway so theres no maintenance.....also it is fairly cheap from your local garden centre so it makes good money saving sense.

lapat · 09-02-2006, 12:00 AM

get a dog £7 a week to feed

pavlovs_dog · 09-02-2006, 12:12 AM

from a fire safety point of view, although not the cheapest, i think these things seem absolutely fab

FIRE ANGEL

borasiclint · 09-02-2006, 7:27 AM

Carpet gripper screwed inside the fence near the top.

scootermacc · 09-02-2006, 9:08 AM

I work in the industry. Some tips on top of what has already been said.

1. Fit a burglar alarm. Single best thing you can do. There are wireless ones available from DIY stores such as Homebase and B&Q (£100-£299 depending on your needs). Worth every penny and you'll be amazed at how easy they are to install. I have this one: www.bt.com/homemonitoring, bought from these people: www.quicksafe.co.uk (got it from them because they supplied an external siren too). I've seen them on ebay too for under £100.

2. If you can't afford a burglar alarm, then at least buy a 'dummy' siren to go on the front of your house. They're 10-15 pounds from a local electrical wholesaler (CEF, Edmundsons, etc), take 5 mins to fit. Its all about making your property less appealing than those around you!

3. DON'T leave ANY keys (including car) in view of your doors. One major area of rising crime is people 'fishing' keys from your hallway using a rod and hook. I'm not kidding - it happened to my next door neighbour. They hooked the keys at 3am, used the front door one to steal a laptop, then took his car for a joyride, leaving it embedded in the side of a BMW on the other side of the city!

4. Get a fake bean tin. £2.99 from Wilkinsons. Looks like a real tin of Heinz beans but its hollow. Good for keeping keys in.

5. Motion sensing external lights. Again relatively cheap, and just one more thing to put someone off if they are snooping round the back of your house.

I may have more later.