Top 5 Tips on Avoiding Garden Theft
According to figures from M&S Bank reported on in The Independant, 1 in 5 people say that the contents of their shed racks up to a value of around £1000! With this in mind, opportunistic burglars would find it very easy to make a quick buck when your back is turned, especially since ⅓ of shed owners don’t have any security features on their sheds as a precaution. Halifax figures show that burglaries of sheds and outhouses actually increases by a huge 40% around this time of year, so isn’t it time that we put our foot down and made more of an effort to deter these thieves!?
Sunny Weather brings out the Garden Thieves
With the sunny weather now here, we all begin to spend more and more time outside, whether it’s playing with the children in the garden, doing a spot of gardening, having a BBQ with friends, or relaxing with a book. It is at these times where we are at our most vulnerable, feeling relaxed we may be caught off our guard – we need to be security aware as statistics have shown that there seems to be an increase in burglaries at these times.
Follow our Top 5 Tips on Avoiding Garden Theft
- Keep it Locked
You wouldn’t leave your front door without a lock, offering access to your house to anyone who passed, so why take a different approach with your garden?
Yale weatherproof padlocks are an ideal starting point, allowing you to secure access to your garden and feel safer, making it harder for a would-be-burglar to gain entry. - Invest in Locks and Chains
Larger items such as ladders or bikes left lying around can be a temptation to burglars. Not only could they use the ladder to try to gain entry to your house, they may run off with your bike in as well. It is of course best to keep these items locked away safely in your shed, but you can take an extra precaution in an attempt to deter burglars but chaining them together with other items, making it a cumbersome task to attempt to steal. - Mark and Tag your Property
By marking your property it not only acts as a deterrent, but if someone did steal your item, it is easier to trace it back to you. There are different options around this, such as using marker pen or paint to add your address to your items in your shed. Also, many police stations for example offer a bike post coding service, etching your postcode to the frame that is registered to you. (We will go into other options and expand on this in a future blog post) - Keep it Out of Sight
Covering up large items like bikes, BBQ’s and other large tools such as lawnmowers and strimmers ensures that anyone who is peering through the window can’t see what you have stored in your shed. Actually covering up your shed windows with old curtains is also a good option. - Invest in Sensor Lights, Alarms and CCTV
By making some small investments in your security systems, you could be saving yourself a lot of hassle and heartbreak in the future. Install a sensor light that goes off when there is movement in your garden, fit an alarms to your shed itself and consider CCTV.
Simple precautions can save you a lot of hassle, and give you peace of mind that your garden property as well as your home are secure.
If you would like to discuss how Securing your home can assist you with your garden theft security, please call us on 0800 193 0432 or contact us through our Enquiry Form.
In fact, burglaries of outbuildings and sheds increase by up to 40% at this time of the year, and there is a 10% increase in domestic burglaries over the spring and summer months*.
As a result, the security experts at Yale have devised their top tips for securing your shed and outbuildings to prevent you from falling victim to garden theft or vandalism.
- It may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget to lock the doors and windows on their outbuildings. The majority of sheds come equipped with minimal security so make sure the door is locked securely using a heavy-duty, weatherproof padlock and hasp.
- Use anchor locks and cables to secure any expensive, individual items within your shed or outbuilding. Anchors and cables can be looped through bike wheels or lawnmower handles and secured by padlocks to provide an extra level of security.
- Don’t leave any valuable items in full view of the window. Invest in curtains or netting to prevent people from seeing in.
- Try not to leave garden tools and equipment out as these can be used to break into your property. Make sure you put them away securely after use.
- Invest in an alarm system to alert you to any intruders. Affordable, battery-powered standalone alarms can be placed freestanding or fixed to a wall for easy installation and convenience.
- Install outdoor security lighting to deter potential thieves. This makes it increasingly difficult for burglars to remain undetected when attempting to break-in.
- CCTV cameras can act as a visual deterrent, and can even catch the thief red-handed if they did attempt to break in.
- Finally, take photographs of belongings stored away and make a note of serial numbers in the event that you do become the victim of a burglary, so you can provide the information to the police.