Everybody thinks that their home is secure. Today, most homes are now fitted with good quality doors and windows which have good quality locks and bolts upon them. However there are occasions, especially on those late summer evenings when it is still light as you are going out, that you decide not do this, and this unfortunately is when you are providing an opportunity to any would be burglar to gain access to your home.

Often a would be intruder, rather than trying to gain access through the front door as they are likely to be seen by your neighbours, will then try to gain access to your property at the back. Unfortunately, it will only take them a few attempts, and they can actually gain access to your home very quickly without your neighbors becoming aware that anything has occurred.

When this type of break in occurs, then the burglar will only take things that are easy to carry, and in most cases can be placed inside a pillowcase. Generally, they will often only steal much larger items like TV’s, DVD players and stereos if they feel that they have enough time and are not likely to be spotted any time soon.

Therefore it is wise that whenever you leave your home for any length of time, both during the day time, and at night, that you make sure everything is secure, and nothing can be seen which is likely to tempt the burglar to try to gain entry to your property.

Also, if you are having any work carried out on your home, it is not wise to leave the work men alone at the home. I know the majority of work men today can be trusted, but there are going to be occasions when the company you are using are new to you, and you have no idea with regard to the people that they employ.

Unfortunately a lot of people today will often arrange to install a burglar alarm or home security system after an intruder has gained entry to their property. This is a bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. It is therefore important that you start looking at ways to improve your home security to ensure that you do not just become another statistic.

There are many places which are vulnerable to attack from an intruder to your home, and therefore you must set up a routine which will then provide them with less opportunities of attempting to break in. Below, we look at what are considered to be some of the weak areas in your home security routine which could help to prevent any kind of break in from occurring.

Keys
Although you may think it is a great idea, lending keys to family and friends, as well as those people carry out work in your home, greatly increases the chances of your keys being placed into the wrong hands. Although the people you provide a key to might be completely trustworthy, you can not control where the keys are once they are out of your hands, and the chances of them being duplicated are greatly increased. Also, never place keys in those secret places outside the home, as the smart burglar will know where exactly to look for them.

Locks
Those doors which have handle locks are very easy for a burglar to get into, as all he requires is a plastic credit card. Therefore it is best if you install good quality deadbolts to all entry points (doors) into your home.

Doorways
Although you may have installed a very good lock to your front or back door, they are only as effective as the actual strength of the door itself. Unfortunately, the weakest area around any door is where the lock is located, and this is especially true for wooden doors.

Sliding Patio Doors
These security doors have several distinct disadvantages to them when compared to other doors. There are even some much older models which, unfortunately, can be easily lifted off of the tracks that they run on and provide any intruder with a way of gaining easy access to a home.

Windows
Windows which are left open and unattended not only provide intruders with access, but they allow them to quickly view what is available to them.

Gardens
Both shrubbery and trees provide a way of allowing intruders to gain access to your property. Not only do they provide ideal coverage, but can also provide them with ways to gain access to your home easily and quickly.

Above we have looked at areas of the home where assistance can be provided to would be intruders to your property.