Living in fear that your house will be burgled can cause a lot of underlying stress. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to make your home less attractive to burglars that will hopefully provide some piece of mind when you're out of the house. 

1. Secure your spare key
2. Check windows
3. Landscaping
4. Improve home security

Here at IDS Security, we specialise in putting home & business owners' minds at ease by improving the security of their premises. Today we're going to walk you through some easy steps you can take to make your home less appealing to burglars, let's dive right in!

Secure your spare key

How many times have you left a spare key under the doormat, or a plant pot, or in the shed? The chances are, you've probably risked this more than once, but guess what? Burglars know that we put our keys in these places! The chances are, if someone wants to break into your house, these are the first places they'll look before they try to gain access. Why would they go to the trouble of breaking glass & creating a lot of noise, when a spare key will make it possible for them to walk straight in through the front door?

Make you home less attractive to burglars by keeping your spare key in a secure place. If a neighbour or relative needs the key to gain access to your home, try to give it to them in person ahead of time, rather than leaving it in a vulnerable position that's top of a burglar's checklist!

Check windows are closed

One thing that's very attractive to burglars is open windows. Much like a spare key, an open window can provide easy access to a house without the use of force. If you want to make your home less attractive to intruders, ensure that all windows are closed and locked before you leave the property. Ground floor windows are particularly vulnerable, but burglars will target second or third storey windows if they offer easy access too!

Landscaping

A wild, overgrown garden can make your home more attractive to trespassers because it provides ample cover & places for them to hide. Bushes, long grass and leafy trees are surprisingly good places to hide if you're trying to find an access point to break into someone's home. You can help make your home less attractive to burglars by keeping your garden & outdoor area tidy. 

Freshly cut grass & trimmed, neat hedges will provide much less cover than an unruly garden! Remember, the last thing burglars want is to be caught in the act, so anything you can do to make your house a more difficult target will pay off in the long run.

Improve home security

With burglars becoming more sophisticated and capable of finding inventive ways to break in, it's vital that you use home security systems to provide protection for your home. Home security systems do two things. Firstly, they act as a deterrent, making your home less attractive to burglars who can see that you've got a security system in place. Secondly, they provide you with the confidence and knowledge that your home will be protected in the event that a burglary attempt actually occurs.

CCTV cameras, intruder alarms and door entry systems can all be used to make your protect your home from burglars. CCTV cameras, in particular, are easily seen from outside your home & let criminals know that they're being watched. Having a CCTV camera system in place is one of the most effective ways to deter burglars, so if you've not got one already - we'd highly recommend it!

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If you want to protect your home with a bespoke home security system, we can help. Contact us today to discuss your concerns and we can help you start your journey towards a well-protected home today!

Read More: What Do Burglars Look For? Tips to Protect Your Belongings

It's normal for employees to have a set of keys to the office, but it can be a bit of a dilemma choosing the right people. Some people would argue that all employees are trusted members of staff, and should therefore be allowed a set of keys. However, you should never take keyholder responsibilities lightly. When you hand over a set of keys to your business, you really are putting your assets in the hands of someone else. Ideally, you want to choose people who are sensible, trustworthy and who actually need a set of keys.

What are the responsibilities of a keyholder?

A keyholder is someone who's been trusted for opening and closing the business on a regular basis. These people need to be capable of setting/disabling your alarm systems & keeping your business and its contents safe! In shops and restaurants where physical cash is handled, key holders might need to make sure that the cash is deposited safely and out of view from prying eyes. Being a keyholder tends to come with more responsibilities than simply opening and cosing up at the end of the day, so choosing the most appropriate people for the job is paramount! Most business owner tend to allocate keyholder responsibilities to the more senior members of staff because they know they're capable of managing the reposibilities of being a keyholder.

What happens if there's an emergency?

Keyholders are often required to respond if the intruder or fire alarm goes off ouside of business hours. It's vital that keyholders understand the procedure they need to follow if they're faced with this situation. For that reason, you might want to choose keyholders that are based locally, or that have access to their own vehicle. Someone who lives 30 miles away and commutes to work on public transport, they might not be the most reliable keyholder in an emergency.

When a keyholder attends an emergency call out, they should be capable of assessing the situation and reponding appropriately. If it looks like a break-in has occured, they should phone the emergency services immediately. Likewise if they can see obvious signs of a fire. If they attend and realise that it's a false alarm, they should be able to reset the alarms, lock up the premises and notify you or the relevant person in charge.

Key traits of a good keyholder:

• Trustworthy & reliable
• Confident under pressure
• Local to the business
• Well-organised
• Strong leadership skills

Outsourcing keyholder responsibilities

In some circumstances, it may be a better option for a business owner to outsource their keyholder duties. For example, if all of your staff live far away, or if staff turnover is high, it might not be possible to choose people to take on keyholder responsibilities. In this case, you can hire a third-party company to help with keyholder responisbilities & out of hours emergencies.

One great option is to invest in a monitored alarm system & a maintenance contract. This means that someone at a trustworthy security company will keep an eye on your alarms around the clock. If an alarm is triggered they will make sure that the appropriate emergency services are contacted right away, meaning the responsibility for the business is taken out of your employees hands. Without proper training, in-experienced staff members might put themselves in harms way in the event of an emergency, so it might put your mind at ease to know that a reliable & professional company are monitoring your premises.

• Burglar Alarm Monitoring from IDS
• Fire Alarm Monitoring from IDS

Our advice when allocating staff keyholder responsibilities is, choose carefully and don't be afraid to outsource to professionals if you're concerned about the safety and welfare of your business. Give us a call if you're interested in upgrading your business security systems, we're happy to help!

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