Work through the zones
Doors
- Exterior doors: five lever mortice deadlock or a cylinder with anti snap, anti pick, anti drill marks
- Patio and sliding doors: locks top and bottom, plus a bar in the track
- Internal garage door treated like an exterior door
- Spare keys never under pots or in the meter box
Windows
- Every ground floor window lockable, and locked when you go out
- Windows shut and locked overnight in rooms you are not in
- Ladders and bins stored away from fences and first floor windows
- Valuables not visible from the street through front windows
Light and alarm
- Movement lights on the sides and rear, where there is no street lighting
- Timer plugs on lamps for evenings out
- Visible bell box on the front of the house
- Entry sensors on front door and any rear access
Away from home
- Deliveries cancelled during trips, not piled on the step
- A neighbour to take in post and open and close curtains
- No holiday photos posted until you are back
- Bins out and in on the usual days even when you are gone
Choosing a door lock without the jargon
Two things matter on a cylinder lock: that it carries anti snap, anti pick and anti drill features, and that it is the right length for your door, with no cylinder sticking out proud of the handle for mole grips to grab. The kitemark insurers recognise is BS3621 for mortice locks; if your exterior door has a simple rim latch and nothing else, that is the first thing to change. A locksmith will fit and align everything in under an hour, and it is the highest value hour in this whole list.
Where sensors and cameras actually belong
Front door, rear door, and the ground floor room facing the back garden. That is the route almost every break in takes, so cover it before anything else. Cameras work best as a visible deterrent at the approach: side gate, driveway. One good camera covering the approach beats three covering the bushes. Whatever you install, check the recordings once a month; a camera that stopped saving in March is a decoration.
The other half of home safety. Security people see the same rooms differently, and the fix is usually the same: twenty minutes, a checklist, decent hardware. While you are checking locks tonight, walk the house once more with fire in mind: smoke alarms on every floor, a blanket near the hob, and an escape plan the whole family knows. The home fire safety checklist covers it room by room, and it takes about the same twenty minutes as this one did.
Quick answers
What locks should exterior doors have?
A five lever mortice deadlock or a quality cylinder with anti snap, anti pick and anti drill features. The BS3621 kitemark is the standard insurers recognise.
Where do burglars usually enter?
The front door and ground floor windows at the rear or side, out of sight of the street. Back gates and unlit passages are the classic approach routes.
Do alarms actually prevent break ins?
A visible bell box deters on its own, because intruders prefer easier targets. Monitoring adds response; the visible deterrent does most of the work.