Top 10 Tips to Keep Burglars at Bay

With the recession in full swing, would-be thieves are getting busy. There has seen been an increase of burglaries in England and Wales, according to Home Office figures which showed a 4% rise for the second quarter in a row.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has predicted summer temperatures will soar to 30C, which means most of us will keep our windows and doors open for bit of a breeze - an open invite to light-fingered loiterers.

However, there are ways to prevent a burglary. Follow Confused.com's top 10 tips to make sure the next home insurance claim isn't yours!

1. Keep your windows and doors locked

It sounds obvious, but a recent poll found 29% of burglaries in 2008 were unforced*. Thieves entered houses and flats through open windows or unlocked doors.

2. Hide valuables

Do you really need to keep your laptop right by the window so that it's in plain view from the street? Also, some insurance companies won't pay up if certain valuables, such as jewels, are not stored in a suitably secure location within your home.

3. Photograph your valuables

That way, if you get burgled, you have a record of what's missing when filling out your home insurance claim. Police can also use the photos to identify your possessions if the thief is caught.

4. Buy a burglar alarm

An alarm is a thief's worst enemy so be sure to set it every time you leave the house or go to bed. Having it tested every three months will keep it in good working order too.

5. Invest in a home security system

If you can afford it, augment your existing burglar alarm with a cutting-edge digital security system. Cameras record any movement in your home and capture a thief in action. What's more, new technology means you can keep an eye on your property directly from your mobile phone.

6. Install motion detector lights

Would-be burglars hate being exposed, so make sure your motion detectors are nice and bright. For increased security, mount them high up on the wall to illuminate a wider area.

7. Apply anti-climb paint

Coat walls and pipes in anti-climb paint. No matter how hard they try, thieves will go down rather than up. Even a thorny trellis beneath your windows can provide a good deterrent to light-fingered thieves. For more handy tips, see Confused.com's Guide to Burglar-Proofing Your Home.

8. Shower safely

Steamy windows tell intruders you're upstairs bathing - and therefore too busy to stop a break-in. Always lock windows and doors before jumping in the shower.

9. Get on the internet

Take a look at your house on Google Street View and see it like a potential thief would. Does that unkempt tree in the front of the house look like a good cover for a break-in? If Google is advertising your home as an easy target, contact them and get the image removed.

10. Fit a timer switch

Noise, lights and drawn curtains are less tantalizing to a potential thief. If you're away on holiday, timers can be attached to lights, radios and televisions to give the impression someone's at home. Some switches provide up to six on/off settings a day with random settings available to eliminate predictability. It's enough to make any would-be burglar think twice.

* Halifax Home Insurance survey statistics
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Now that you've got some top tips under your belt, keep in mind another way to protect your home is by having a good contents insurance. Confused.com compares all the top home insurance providers.