There were approximately 556,000 burglaries in England and Wales between October 2020 and September 2021, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

But many homeowners have no security systems in place to protect their homes and possessions, said Mortgage Advice Bureau.

It added that, with pandemic restrictions being phased out and people returning to normal day-to-day routines, we’ll inevitably spend less time at home than before, bringing the importance of home security back to the top of our priority list.

Brian Murphy, head of lending at the broker, has published his top tips to make sure you and your belongings keep as safe as possible.

Review your home security systems

Sometimes just having a visible alarm system on your house can be enough of a deterrent to potential burglars – and having one that actively works is even better! Most alarms come with fixtures for inside the house that can detect things like vibrations, movement, or forced entry. Once this has been detected, it will raise the alarm that’s kept inside the exterior fixture that sits on the outside of your house.

Check your doors

There are a range of different doors that can help make your home safer. If your property has a UPVC or composite door, you could also consider upgrading to a British Standard TS007 Kitemarked model. Alternatively, you might want to add on a dead-bolt or have smart locks installed as an extra precaution to prevent forced entries.

Reinforce your windows

Many burglars use windows as an entry point as they aren’t always the safest part of the house (even when locked). There are certain things you can do to reinforce your windows, although some of them may change the look of it, such as security film. That might seem a little drastic but there are other subtle things you can install that do not affect the appearance of your windows, such as sensors that raise an alarm once the glass has been broken.

Turn on your lights

Darkness is a burglar’s best friend, as they can sneak around without being seen. Lighting up the front of your house, down the side, and the back garden with sensor flood lights will alert you to anything going on around your property.

Use gates and fences

Many of us make do with old gates that have seen better days, or fence panels that have been blown out by the wind and are now damaged. This could provide easy access to your property, which of course, you don’t want. If you can’t afford to replace them right now, you could fix two different locks to the gate – one padlock in the middle and a bolt at the top or bottom. You could even consider adding trellis panels to the top of them to make it difficult for intruders to climb over.

Secure sheds, garages, and summerhouses

Let’s not forget your outside buildings, such as sheds, garages, and summer houses. You might actually have a few valuables in them that you wouldn’t want to provide easy access to. All windows and doors need extra padlocks and bolts (preferably at the top and bottom of the door). You could also add an alarm to these outbuildings – even a battery-operated one will do the job.

Five quick tips

1. Use gravel on your driveway to alert you to anyone approaching your house.
2. Talk to your neighbours – make sure you keep in touch with them as they can keep an eye on your property when you’re out at work or away on holiday.
3. Be savvy with social media and don’t advertise that your home may be empty – save those holiday pictures for when you get home.
4. Ensure keys are in a safe place and out of sight and don’t leave spare keys in obvious places, such as under the doormat.
5. Lock down any valuable items that are outside your house e.g. anchor any expensive garden furniture to the floor and fit cable ties to your hanging baskets.