We all want our gardens to be places that we can go to relax and escape from the world. But all too often, our gardens are insecure and vulnerable to thieves. In the UK, garden theft goes up by more than 63 per cent in the summer months. So there’s never been a better time to think about garden security. Here’s what to do.
Write Your PostCode On Valuable Items
Your garden is teeming with items that thieves could potentially sell on to the highest bidder. That’s why it’s so important to do everything you can to undermine their efforts. One of the things you can do is write your address and postcode on valuable items, like BBQs with an ultraviolet pen. It’s a long shot: but the BBQ might be returned to you at a later date.
Check Shed Doors For Damage
Sheds are notoriously prone to wear and decay. And this damage can be exploited by opportunistic thieves. Make sure that there are no weak points that would make breaking into your shed easy for any would-be thief. Repair damage to shed doors, and fortify with extra material where necessary.
Take Photographs Of Your Garden Valuables
Stuff might get stolen from your garden, only to resurface at a later date. That’s great. But you need some way of proving that the items that were taken are indeed yours. That’s why it’s a good idea to take a photograph or two of all your most valuable garden items. You need something you can fall back on to demonstrate that stolen items are indeed yours.
Use Closed-Circuit Cameras
One of the best ways of keeping track of what’s going on in your garden is to use CCTV. CCTV has come a long way since the early days. It’s now a lot sleeker and less intrusive than it was before. And the resolution of the cameras is also a lot higher. This means that you can now keep the outside of your home looking like a home, rather than a prison. And it means that you can quickly identify any intruder stupid enough to trespass on your property.
Use Alarms For Valuable Items
Many of us have valuable ornamental items in our gardens. But have you ever thought about how you might protect them against theft? One cool way to protect garden valuables is to use little pressure sensor alarms underneath garden items. These alarms go off when a garden ornament is removed.
Hide The Contents Of Your Shed
Thieves will only bother breaking into a shed if they can see that there is something worth stealing. Otherwise, there’s no point taking the risk. That means that it’s in the interest of all of us to conceal what we’ve got in our sheds. One way to do this is to put up old curtains in the shed window. Now you can close the curtains in the shed at night, just as you would any other room in the house.
Get A Security Light
Lastly, security lights are a great way for families to keep their gardens secure. Thieves would rather attention wasn’t drawn to what they are doing.
