Easy ways to protect your garden
Did you know thieves are more likely to break into your garden than your home? Check out this blog for easy ways to protect your garden!
Invest in a form of CCTV
Investing in Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and can deter potential burglars from your land. There are lots of options, from a full CCTV system to a video doorbell. Video doorbells are motion activated and will send a video to your phone if someone is in your garden. There are laws around CCTV you need to be aware of. For Guidance on the use of domestic CCTV, head to the Gov.uk[2] website.
Be mindful of your locks
Make sure any side gates are securely locked. This will force any intruders to climb a fence if they want to gain access, making it a far tougher job.
Weak, ill fitted or cheap locks are a magnet for thieves, making the effort and cost of fitting it pointless. You can buy locks with features to tackle this, like ones with ‘anti-tamper screws’.
Further to this, having screws that are attached on the inside with a bolt, make them nearly impossible to unscrew from the outside. Another easy way to protect your [3]
Store your valuables securely
Store any valuable equipment like lawnmowers and bikes in a garage or a locked shed. Again, making sure the locks are sturdy and good quality is vital.
If a shed is made of thin or flimsy wood, locks can be ripped off, doors can be kicked in and panels could be pried out of place to access it. Look out for gaps that a thief could place a crowbar or jimmying device in. If you are using a shed for storing valuables, make sure it’s made of strong wood or even invest in a hard plastic or metal shed.[4]
The positioning of the storage shed is also important, try and place it out of site from thieves but near enough to your house windows or CCTV so you have a clear view of anyone accessing it.
Mark your valuables
Valuable items that cannot be stored should be marked so if stolen they can be traced back to the owners if sold on. For example, bikes, trampolines, or gardening equipment. You can do this a special invisible pen, which glows under a UV light. using a property or police approved forensic marking solution only visible under Ultraviolet (UV) light. Police recommend you “mark your property with your postcode, house or flat number or the first three letters of your address.”
Register your property for free on the Immobilise website. This is the UK National Property Register and it helps the police identify the owners of property they recover from thieves.[5]
Lighting
Fitting a sensor security light means if anyone walks past the motion sensor, the light will come on and could scare off any intruders. It could make their presence more obvious to others and even allow others to recognise their identity.
You could also fit timers to lights that are plugged in to go on during the evening, creating the illusion someone is present in the house.
Fencing
A standard 1.8m wall or fence should be sufficient for an enclosed garden, but you can go up to 2m if your garden faces a public footpath for example. You don’t normally need planning permission, but it’s always better to check before you start building.
Make sure you place the horizontal stabilizing wood on the inside of your fence, so no one can use it to climb over.
Plants
Plants are another one of the easy ways to protect your garden. For example, planting spikey and prickly plants close together around the perimeter of your garden is a deterrent to thieves as they will want to avoid becoming injured. Some plants that can be used include Aralia, Coletia, Oplopanax and Smilax.
Be aware of planting spikey plants if you have children or pets!
It’s just as important to protect your home and your garden. Take a read of our guide on How to protect your home while you’re away.
Most home insurance polices have some sort of garden insurance cover. Though it’s important to check everything you want is covered when taking out a policy.
Looking for home insurance? Get a quote today with GoSkippy!
