1. Don't tempt a thief

  • Always lock your garden sheds and garages.
  • Use curtains on garage and basement windows.
  • Never leave notes on your door such as "Gone shopping" / "Out of Station".

2. Locks... Get the best

  • No lock, regardless of its quality, can be truly effective. Key-in-lock knobs provide minimum security. Ask a locksmith for advice on your situation.

  • Change locks immediately if your keys are lost or stolen.

  • When moving into a new home, have all locks changed.

3. Outside

  • Have adequate exterior lighting. A motion-sensitive light is recommended for backyards.

  • Trim trees and shrubs so that they cannot be used as hiding places for intruders.

  • Make sure your door hinges are on the inside.

4. Doors

  • An outside grill-door or collasible gate with locking-arrangements for the entry doors would effectively prevent, even forcible entry.
  • Avoid door and window combination (mostly kept in main entry) the nearest shutter of the window if opened, gives scope for un-locking main door by inserting hand etc.,
  • Use of cross-bar inside would strengthen security.
  • Locks should not be visible from outside like pad-locks-keep, in built locks.
  • keep adequate interior lighting to simulate presence of inmates.
  • Do not leave keys of almairahs conspicuously.

5. Windows

  • Most windows can be pinned for security.
  • Drill a 3 inch / 16 inch hole on a slight downward slant through the inside window frame and halfway into the outside frame-place a nail in the hole to secure the window.
  • Grills are vulnerable since they are fixed to the frame by screws.  Fix them in the walls through the window frame.

6. Ventilators

  • Fix grill or cross-bars similar to windows to prevent entry.

7. Drainage & water pipes

  • Do not keep gap between wall and pipe to prevent scaling..

8. Alarms

  • An alarm system is excellent for home security. It provides peace of mind to home owners, especially while on vacation. There is a wide variety of alarm systems on the market. Make several enquiries to different companies for the best security system available to you.