Simple Ways to Improve Security on your Property  

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The prices of security features today are higher than ever before. But you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to protect your assets from opportunistic thieves. Here are some of the most cost-effective ways to improve the security of your home.   

OPT FOR A CRUNCHY GRAVEL PATH 

Thieves always want to move silently to remain completely undetected as they do their misdeeds. But some paths can take all the silence out of this intrusion. If you have ever walked across a gravel path you know this is not something that can be done silently. There is plenty of noise as the pieces of rock are compacted against each other. This noise can alert you to the presence of anyone walking up the path. Furthermore, a gravel path is an attractive option for garden paths and driveways. The aesthetics of your garden path can be improved with attractive pebbles, and solid borders to keep your gravel looking tidy.  

In addition to a crunchy gravel path, you make think of other features that could alert you to someone entering your property. This may include a noisy metal latch or creaking hinges.  

2. HAVE YOUR PORCH LIGHT ON A SENSOR 

There is nothing thieves hate more than bright lights illuminating a property. Improving the lighting around your home and property is not only an easy way to discourage the criminal element, but it is also one of the most practical and cost-effective.  Studies have shown that well-lit properties and areas of town are less likely to be the targets of criminal activities. Security cameras can take this deterrent to a higher level.  

Solar-powered security lights have recently grown in popularity as they are especially reliable and energy efficient. Solar-powered lights from reputable manufacturers are bright, easy to install and maintain, and especially cost-effective.  

Another way to deter a would-be marauder is with a light switch on a timer that makes it appear that someone is up and about inside the home — even when no one is home. This is a far better way to prevent your home from being targeted for attack and is cheaper than leaving the lights on all day.   

3. PLANT SPIKY SHRUBS ON YOUR BOUNDARIES

Your choices of plants and shrubbery can also play a role in protecting your home from attacks. Plants with spines and thorns are a great way to keep people from windows and fences. The right choice of plants is also an especially aesthetically pleasing way of improving security and looks much better than barbed wire.  

Here are some of the best plant combinations for keeping people from entering your property:  

Berberis × stenophylla (barberry) – small evergreen shrub, highly popular with wildlife 

Ilex aquifolium (holly) – the classic Christmas icon, this small bush has sharp spiky leaves, can be planted as a tree or a small shrub 

Poncirus trifoliata (Japanese bitter orange) – fearsome thorns and hardy in the south 

Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn) – a deciduous cottage garden staple 

Rosa ‘Maigold’ – a demon hedge of thorns and a great climber 

Rosa sericea pteracantha – a tall shrub with exceptionally large and intimidating prickles  

You may not have the borders needed to plant these shrubs, but they can also be planted in giant crates and containers. Just make sure you choose something too heavy to be lifted and carried away.  

4. SECURE YOUR WINDOWS 

 As access points to your home’s interior, your windows must be well-protected. Making sure all windows are fitted with top-quality locks and latches is the first step. But there are other measures to be taken as well.  

Choosing to have shutters that fall over your curtains is one such example. This acts as a protective layer and is especially effective at deterring criminals. When updating your windows, choose something especially difficult to open from the outside, like sash windows. Installing sash stops can also prevent the window from opening wide enough to allow someone to enter.   

One of the most commonly overlooked elements of a home security audit is the windows. Most experienced thieves will carry a pry bar with which to open windows and this is where a formidable lock system is a good idea.  They may also try to break the glass to gain access to your home, so security can be installed which makes pushing the window open more difficult.  

5. IMPROVE THE SIGHT LINES FROM YOUR WINDOWS 

When you open your windows and look over your property, how much of your garden can you see? Do you have a commanding view of the full length of your garden from one end to the other? Are there sections of your garden that are hidden behind trees or fences? Does your garden give intruders plenty of places to hide? 

Take a walk around your garden and try to view things as a potential intruder might. Look for all the places you could hide from sight or spots where you will not be seen from the windows. Lights and mirrors can be placed at key locations to increase the visibility of your garden and improve its aesthetics too. Make the same security check in the front as you do in the back. Choosing a fence plan that offers some visibility in the front of the house will make you more aware of what is happening outside the front of your property. Adding driveway gates in Glasgow will give you an additional level of protection.