How secure is your back garden?

They say an Englishman’s home is his castle. And whilst you probably don’t have a moat and walls around your home, your garden space is the land that helps separate your private realm from your neighbours.

You might not realise it, but the security of your garden has a significant effect on the overall safety of your home. There are many things you can do within your land to maximise the protection of your property.

7 tips to improve the security of your back garden.

1. Side Gates

Secure your side gate. You should keep your side gate locked at all times when not in active use. An open gate allows burglars to gain easy access to your property without being seen by passers-by or neighbours. Outside Wireless Security Cameras in the UK are easy to buy and install, so we recommend fitting one to watch over your side gate.

Make sure the gate itself is strong enough to handle any attempts at forcing it open. Be sure that the hinges and surrounding framework are sturdy. You should invest in a padlock to secure the bolt once it is in place.

2. Build up those borders.

Around the perimeter of your garden is an opportunity to grow a range of natural defences. A sturdy fence should be the base of your defences, with the police advising that a 2m fence for rear gardens is ideal for making life harder for criminals. If you currently have an older fence or wall that is only waist heigh, give serious consideration to replacing it.

Small fence spikes can be purchased from many garden centres that will further dissuade thieves from climbing over your fence.

Inside your borders, consider planting bushes or scrubs that will deter burglars once the plants have matured. This can take many years, but once in place, they are a strong deterrent. Great plants for this include

• Firethorn/Pyracantha: A virtually impenetrable hedge with a tremendous growth rate of 50cm per year. This prickly bush would hurt anyone trying to clamber through or over it. It is easy to grow too, so you don’t been to be a keen gardener.
• Blackthorn/Prunus Spinosa: Blackthorn is a fast-growing hedge that grows in most soil types. It has an excellent growth rate of 40-60cm per year, so it won’t take many years to develop a sufficiently tall and dense hedge. Not great in waterlogged soil, but otherwise very easy to grow. Once it has reached full growth, no one is going to fight their way through a Blackthorn bush.

• Met Police recommendations: Berberis, Osmanthus, Forget, Poncirus, Crataegus, Pyracantha, Aralia, Chaenomeles, Ribes, Oplopanax, Elaeagnus, Robinia, Colletia, Ilex, Climbing roses, Maclura, Mahonia, Ligustrum (privet), or laurel, Smilax, and Zanthoxylu

3. Security Lights

A security light triggered by motion sensors will provide a deterrent to would-be burglars, making it harder for their activity to go unnoticed.

The motion detector will trigger whenever someone moves within its field of vision. Just be sure to set the motion detector in such a way that it is only going off when there is movement in your own garden and not picking up every activity in the surrounding areas, as neighbours can find it annoying to have to live with a constant wave of floodlighting.

Whilst they might be annoying for neighbours, thieves will find the lights deeply inconvenient, highlighting their activities. If you have a side gate and path, we strongly suggest you consider a floodlight in this area, along with some form of WIFI Home Security Camera.

4. Install an intruder alarm system.

Installing an alarm system will allow you a lot more peace of mind. Usually, these will be restricted to only going off when a door or window is opened, but motion detectors inside or outside of your home can also be added to allow you to customise how your home is protected.

If preferred, you can get exterior motion alarms to set off your alarm system as well as the security lights. Alternatively, you can have the motion detectors alert you to movement via an associated app.

5. Fit exterior security cameras

Many Outdoor and Indoor WIFI Security Cameras allow for 2-way speech, so once alerted, you can surprise unwanted visitors with a query about their presence in your garden, which is liable to make them turn tail and run.

Because many modern cameras are now WIFI enabled, you only need to supply power to them, and you do not need to worry about running internet out to the device directly, simply connect it wirelessly to your broadband router.

You should consider fitting at least one camera to the front and rear of your property, angled to cover most of your land. Also, include one for any side passageway that might prove accommodating to unexpected visitors.

6. Use gravel on driveways and paths

Gravel is an excellent lowkey option for boosting security. Walking over gravel is a noisy, crunching experience that will put many burglars off approaching your house and may alert you audibly if they do.

This applies to paths and driveways at both the rear and front of your house.

7. Put bikes, tools and toys away

Use common sense when ending your day in your garden. It is important to put away any tools that have been used for gardening, as these are often sturdy devices that be turned into tools to break into your house. Ladders should also be secured in your shed to avoid them being used for easy access to upper floors.

Bikes are often stolen by opportunists who happen to want them when they see them. To avoid this, have these locked away, preferably out of sight.

Your shed needs to be secured to the ground. It might surprise you to learn thefts from sheds, particularly the relatively light metal sheds, happen by simply lifting the shed up and moving it aside, revealing the inner contents. Bolting the shed to the floor is an easy way to prevent this from occurring.

Extra Steps to take.

We all want to enjoy our homes and gardens, and of course, no one wants to live in a fortress. But by following common-sense tips like the ones above and remembering to close windows whenever you are out of the room, even for a few minutes, can improve your home security and help keep the burglars out.

Take time to look at your garden, and don’t be afraid to get ideas from a few friends and family. When you take as secure might stand our to them as an easy route into your property or leave some of your garden possessions vulnerable.

Using modern home security, such as floodlights, window and door sensors, alarm systems, and home CCTV cameras, will all aid you in keeping your house safe and free of assailants.

Posted on 23rd Sep 2021 by NK