5 top tips to improve your home security

Although any kind of theft can be surprisingly scary (not to mention rage-inducing), the important thing to remember is that most thieves are opportunists. That means that when it comes to theft from your home, a bit of investment into your home security can work wonders for securing your belongings. Lift-out driveway bollards are fantastic for securing your vehicle, but alongside these, there are some other useful measures you can take, too.

Multi-layering your security offers more protection

Just as putting on more clothes in winter will help protect you from cold, extra layers of security adds increasingly more protection to your belongings. It’s not hard to keep your shed locked, for example, especially if you store valuable tools in it – but conversely it’s often very easy to forget to lock the back gate leading to the garden, especially if you or your family are often coming and going through it. Similarly, a locked bike in a garage is reasonably secure, but is even more so with a solid D-lock through its frame and wheels, and chained to a nearby post (or similar). The simple way to think of it is that anything that can be locked, should be.

Be careful with how you store your keys

We recently talked about the rise of keyless theft in Britain. In a nutshell, keys with wireless transmitters can have their signals captured by thieves, who are then able to steal the vehicle in question. However, scary though it may sound, there is a solution for this; you can buy small portable Faraday cages for your keys which block these signals, keeping your vehicle safe. This leads us onto another common home security issue, though, which is where to place your keys. Lots of people keep them in a bowl by the door, but some more enterprising thieves have been known to hook them using long poles inserted through the letterbox, allowing them access to your car, garage and possibly even your home. Therefore, it’s worth thinking about where you and your family keep your keys, how visible they are, and whether it opens you up to any potential risk.

Keep things light

Another key aspect to improving your home security is lighting your driveway. Alongside security bollards, in fact, this is perhaps one of the most pivotal factors there can be. It makes sense that intruders prefer to do their work under the cover of darkness, so giving your property some much-needed illumination can be enough of a deterrent in itself. Obviously leaving your lights on constantly isn’t a terribly cost-effective or efficient way to operate them, but it can be a more viable choice with solar powered options. Motion sensors are also a handy feature when it comes to lighting.

Get a visible burglar alarm

The familiar exterior plate of a burglar alarm can provide an effective deterrent in itself for many properties – as with bollards, the sight alone is enough to make most prospective thieves decide it’s not worth the bother. Modern burglar alarms also boast an impressive array of further functionalities – they can be activated through vibration, or use infrared movement detectors to recognise forced entry. Alternatively, they can be fitted with magnetic contact detectors, which set the alarm off when the plates are disturbed.

Install driveway bollards

We’ve talked before about the many advantages that driveway bollards and parking posts can offer your home, but it’s fair to say that security is one of their biggest benefits! Your car is one of the biggest and most expensive purchases you’ll ever make, so protecting it with lift-out or telescopic bollards takes only a little bit of investment for long-term security. They’re handily convenient to install, too, and as we’ve touched on above, even the sight of them alone can act as an effective deterrent, protecting one of your most unquestionably valuable possessions. (What’s more, they also act as an extra ‘layer’ for your security, as we discussed in one of the above headings.)

If you’re looking for some lift-out bollards for your residential property, we’ve got a great range of them right here at Bollard Security. What’s more, our years of expertise means that we’re the perfect people to help you work out exactly which one is best for you, according to your needs and budget. Give us a call on 01535 509001 to see what we can do for you!