How Burglars Choose Houses & Which Ones They Avoid?

The years 2021/22 have seen more than 266,000 burglaries in England and Wales which, although fewer than the past year, is still a substantial number and cause for concern.

Homes and residential properties are a hot target for burglars, leaving homeowners in a state of fear and panic. Burglaries not only result in financial losses but also have an effect on the victims’ mental health.

Luckily, there are ways you can prevent your home from being targeted and protect yourself, your family, and your home from theft. The first step in protecting your home from burglars is to be one step ahead and figure out how burglars think.

Read on to find out how burglars choose houses to target and which ones they avoid so that you can take the necessary precautions to always keep your home off the radar:

HOW DO BURGLARS CHOOSE HOUSES TO TARGET?

The answer to this question is very easy: they choose easy targets.

If you think that a particular house is chosen by them at random, that is not the case. Burglars work hard to identify easy targets and devote much time and energy into finding houses worth breaking into.

Most burglars will “case a property” for days in order to identify patterns and schedules so that they can figure out how and when to break in. They are particularly interested in homes with valuable items and without adequate security so that the risk of getting caught is minimised.

Burglars generally look for the following things when choosing a house to break into:

Unlocked doors and windows

Your doors and windows are the main entry points into your home. The easier it is to bypass them, the more lucrative your house becomes to burglars.

Unlocked doors and windows make it easier to break in and reduce the time the burglar has to spend trying to get in. They won’t even have to “break in”. They can simply walk in through the door or jump in through the window.

No security system

Security systems such as burglar alarms and CCTVs deter criminals from breaking into your home, which is corroborated by the fact that the majority of burglaries happen in homes without one.

When casing a house as a potential target, one of the first things that burglars look for is the absence of security systems. Since they don’t want to be seen on camera, tripping an alarm, and risk getting caught, they actively look for houses with no security.

An empty home

Burglaries are at an all-time high during the holiday season, mainly due to the fact that most houses are empty since the families are away.

Breaking into an empty home is much easier and it significantly reduces the burglars’ chances of getting caught. Common signs that burglars look for are piled up mail, un-mowed lawn, and no lights in or outside the house for several days.

Presence of valuables

Burglars don’t want to waste their time breaking into a house only to find that there are not many valuables for them to steal. They very carefully target houses that they know have items of value.

Boxes of expensive electronics and appliances left outside are sure to attract potential criminals as they are an obvious sign that you have a new and expensive item in your home.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR HOUSE IS BEING WATCHED AND TARGETED?

There are a few ways to tell if your house is being watched and targeted by potential criminals. You need to keep an eye out for:

Unknown cars parked on the street

If you notice any strange cars parked near your home for a couple of days, it may be burglars stalking you. Take notice of this immediately, note down the vehicle’s number, and inform the police right away.

Strangers in your neighbourhood

Strangers walking around your neighbourhood, particularly if they aren’t accompanied by one of the residents, is a red flag and a common tactic used by potential burglars to pick up on any observations that might benefit them. They might even come close enough to peep through your windows.

Strangers taking pictures of your house

A stranger has no right to take pictures of you or your property. If you see someone doing so, especially without your permission, it probably means bad news. These pictures can be used by burglars to share with their partners/associates or to save your house for future crimes.

Knocking on doors to check if someone answers

Since empty houses are a hot target for burglars, they will go around knocking on doors to see if someone answers. If no one answers, they know it’s a good time to break in, and if someone does answer, they usually say stuff like “have you seen my dog?”, “is Richard home?” or pretend to offer services.

Strange signs and symbols around your house

Burglars use secret signs and symbols to communicate with each other and may mark your house as a good target. If you see suspicious markings near your property, inform the police right away so that they can patrol the area for theft.

WHICH HOUSES DO BURGLARS AVOID?

Most burglaries are well thought out and the targets are chosen after careful deliberation. There are certain things that burglars look for and certain things that they avoid at all costs.

Since we’ve already discussed what attracts burglars, we’ll move on to what takes your house off their target list. They include:

Reinforced doors and windows

Houses with strong doors and windows are difficult to break into, especially those that are reinforced with high-quality locks.

Make sure your doors and windows are made of a strong material such as wood, composite, or uPVC, and if you are moving into a new house, make sure you change all the locks before you bring in all your possessions.

There are several types of locks for both doors and windows, and some of the best ones include the trusted deadbolts, mortice locks, rim locks, lever locks, and anti-snap cylinder or Euro locks.

If you wish to take your home security a step further, we recommend investing in keyless entry systems for your home.

Burglar alarms

Burglar alarms are one of the most effective burglary deterrents, the presence of which is enough to scare away potential intruders.

They work using different types of sensors which, when placed in the right areas, detect intrusions and sound an alarm to alert the homeowners and bring attention to the intruders.

Having a monitored alarm system will also alert the police if your home has been breached. To make it obvious that your house is alarmed, you can put up stickers and signs in your yard or on the windows to ward off criminals.

CCTV cameras

CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) cameras are one of the most effective burglary deterrents available in the market today that not only deter criminals but also provide valuable evidence in the form of recorded CCTV footage.

The reason that burglars avoid targeting homes under CCTV surveillance is that they fear being recorded on camera and getting identified and caught.

There are many different types of CCTV cameras to choose from depending on where you want to install them and what features they have.

Some useful features to look for include motion detection, mobile notifications, remote monitoring, night vision, wi-fi capabilities, two-way communication, local or cloud storage, and weather-proof and tamper-proof casing for outdoor use.

Security lights

If there’s one thing that burglars love, it’s working in the dark so that they can’t be seen. Keeping this in mind, you must keep your home well-lit, especially the outdoor area so that there are no blind spots that the burglars can exploit.

You can install motion-activated security lights that turn on as soon as someone sets foot under them and alert the homeowners of movement on their property.

You can also use timers on the security lights that automatically turn the lights on at a set time every day. These features can be extremely useful, especially when you are away from your home and want to make it appear as if you are inside.

Irregular routines

One of the main reasons that burglars case your property and stalk you is to figure out your and your family’s daily routine.

How does this benefit them? Well, knowing what time you leave the house and what time you come back will give them a good idea about when your home will be empty.

If they know that you’ll leave the house every day at 7:30 in the morning and won’t return till 8 at night, they know they have a large window of opportunity to break in without getting caught.

However, if you have an irregular routine and can be in and out of the house any time during the day or night, it makes it risky for the burglars and they will most likely avoid your home.

Hidden valuables

If a burglar can’t see anything worth stealing in your house, chances are that they won’t target your property and risk breaking in.

Therefore, you must always hide your valuables from plain view since leaving them out in the open might attract unwanted attention.

Try to keep the curtains drawn and the blinds closed to avoid stalkers and potential burglars from peeking inside your home and targeting specific items of value, such as your laptop left on the table near the window or the television in the living room.

Invest in a secure wall or underfloor safe to keep your valuables safe and protected not only from theft but also fire and water damage.

Close-knit neighbourhood

Getting to know your neighbours can not only help expand your social circle but also help deter burglars since a close-knit neighbourhood where everyone looks out for one another is what keeps such threats away.

Having a nice relationship with your neighbours will pay off in the sense that you can rely on them to call out unusual behaviour and inform you in case they notice something out of the ordinary, especially in your absence.

Burglars may find it difficult to break into a house in a close and friendly neighbourhood as their chances of getting exposed get really high. They might get stopped by someone and questioned about their intentions.

This is a big reason why isolated homes in quiet and distant neighbourhoods, where no one actually knows each other, are often targeted for burglaries.

Also, if you don’t already have one, consider forming a neighbourhood watch scheme that can help reduce crime, create more awareness, and discuss any suspicious activities around the neighbourhood.

Dogs

A dog, even if it’s a small one with a loud bark, is sure to keep intruders are burglars out of your property.

Dogs are incredibly possessive by nature and can be trained to pick up on unusual behaviours. They are loyal and intelligent and can act as an effective physical deterrent against burglaries and intrusions.

Their ability to react quickly, coupled with their inherently curious nature of roaming around and sniffing things ensures that no suspicious behaviour goes unnoticed and that action is always taken. The first reaction that they give out is a loud bark, which is sometimes enough to startle the intruders.

Some of the best dog breeds for security purposes include German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Akitas, and Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Other great pets for security include parrots, geese, and llamas.

There is, of course, always the risk of your pets being stolen or harmed to put them out of the way, which is why it is best to take other security measures such as the installation of security alarms and CCTV cameras to make sure your loved pets stay safe and secure as well.

If you have a dog, make sure to put up a “beware of dog” sign so that burglars know you have a trusted mutt keeping an eye out for you.

The sign may work even if you don’t have a dog and trick potential burglars into thinking you have one!

CONTACT CALDER SECURITY

At Calder Security, we provide a comprehensive range of security solutions that include not just professional installation but also monitoring, maintenance, and repair services.

We are members of the Master Locksmith Association (MLA), approved members of the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB), and also conform to all the relevant British and EU Standards.

We follow all the best practices in the industry and install only high-quality, state-of-the-art security systems.

We offer various levels of monitoring via a 24-hour monitoring centre using Dualcom and BT Redcare signalling, which is the most secure alarm monitoring system and the largest supplier of intelligent alarm signalling services in the UK.

We understand the importance of having to regularly maintain security systems since the inability to do so might result in serious faults and consequent vulnerabilities in your property’s security.

We provide professional maintenance checks and reminders for when the checks are due to help you stay compliant with the law and work fast to restore your security systems to excellent condition.

We offer a 24-hour call-out service for customers and can also repair systems not installed by us. Our engineers are highly skilled and can restore faulty systems to full working order in one visit.

Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash

How burglars choose houses & which ones they avoid?