When Spring arrives and the weather begins to get warmer, many of us can't wait to start spending more time outdoors tending the garden and doing DIY work.While we should certainly celebrate the arrival of warmer weather, we also need to recognise that this is the time when thefts from sheds and outbuildings become increasingly likely.
Thieves know that people will be spending more time working in their gardens in the spring and summer months, and will attempt to take advantage of those who leave gardening and DIY equipment in unlocked sheds.
While some garden sheds contain nothing more than a few shovels and plant pots, many contain equipment worth hundreds of pounds, such as lawnmowers and power tools. Some homes have several outbuildings for hobbies and storage, and sometimes even a home office space. Despite this, many homeowners do not take enough care in securing their outbuildings, and consquently they are seen as an easy target by burglars.
The best advice is to treat sheds and outbuildings like the main house itself, and exercise the same care and consideration as you would when making security arrangements for the house. Never leave the shed door unlocked overnight, instead ensure it is secured with a heavy-duty padlock or another strong lock.Also consider purchasing a battery-operated shed alarm, which are widely available and reasonably cheap to buy.
You can further secure your property by wrapping a strong chain and padlock around ladders and garden equipment. It's not uncommon for experienced and opportunistic thieves to break into a shed or garage to get hold of a ladder or some tools, and then use this equipment to break into the house itself, so securing your outdoor equipment serves a dual purpose.
As well as tools, another thing commonly stolen from sheds is bikes, as thieves know they can always sell them for good money, maybe even hundreds of pounds. It is now relatively commonplace to see purpose-built bike sheds in people's gardens, which are made of thick sheet metal and have an internal steel drop bar to make prising them open almost impossible.
Another important point to remember is not to leave keys in the shed. It seem convenient for you to leave them there, but remember it is equally convenient for a burglar! Just as its second nature for burglars to look under the mat for a spare set of keys, they also know to check the garden shed for spare keys that might have been left lying around.
There's also another good reason for keeping your outbuildings secured from intruders - it will benefit you from an insurance perspective, too. Home insurance providers will often award you with cheaper premiums if your outbuildings are fully secured with proper locks and alarms. However, you must then follow through on these measures, or you risk invalidating any future claim.
Hopefully this advice will help you to ensure your property does not fall victim to the increasing number of burglaries that take place during the warmer months of spring and summer. Taking a few simple precautions will allow you to just relax and enjoy the sunshine, secure in the knowledge that your sheds and outbuildings are no longer sitting ducks for opportunistic thieves.
Thieves know that people will be spending more time working in their gardens in the spring and summer months, and will attempt to take advantage of those who leave gardening and DIY equipment in unlocked sheds.
While some garden sheds contain nothing more than a few shovels and plant pots, many contain equipment worth hundreds of pounds, such as lawnmowers and power tools. Some homes have several outbuildings for hobbies and storage, and sometimes even a home office space. Despite this, many homeowners do not take enough care in securing their outbuildings, and consquently they are seen as an easy target by burglars.
The best advice is to treat sheds and outbuildings like the main house itself, and exercise the same care and consideration as you would when making security arrangements for the house. Never leave the shed door unlocked overnight, instead ensure it is secured with a heavy-duty padlock or another strong lock.Also consider purchasing a battery-operated shed alarm, which are widely available and reasonably cheap to buy.
You can further secure your property by wrapping a strong chain and padlock around ladders and garden equipment. It's not uncommon for experienced and opportunistic thieves to break into a shed or garage to get hold of a ladder or some tools, and then use this equipment to break into the house itself, so securing your outdoor equipment serves a dual purpose.
As well as tools, another thing commonly stolen from sheds is bikes, as thieves know they can always sell them for good money, maybe even hundreds of pounds. It is now relatively commonplace to see purpose-built bike sheds in people's gardens, which are made of thick sheet metal and have an internal steel drop bar to make prising them open almost impossible.
Another important point to remember is not to leave keys in the shed. It seem convenient for you to leave them there, but remember it is equally convenient for a burglar! Just as its second nature for burglars to look under the mat for a spare set of keys, they also know to check the garden shed for spare keys that might have been left lying around.
There's also another good reason for keeping your outbuildings secured from intruders - it will benefit you from an insurance perspective, too. Home insurance providers will often award you with cheaper premiums if your outbuildings are fully secured with proper locks and alarms. However, you must then follow through on these measures, or you risk invalidating any future claim.
Hopefully this advice will help you to ensure your property does not fall victim to the increasing number of burglaries that take place during the warmer months of spring and summer. Taking a few simple precautions will allow you to just relax and enjoy the sunshine, secure in the knowledge that your sheds and outbuildings are no longer sitting ducks for opportunistic thieves.
SHARE
