House security what you got?

Camera up front and Ring alarm system on all doors/windows, the base unit has battery + 3G net backup, which I found out works very well when coming in once with the system armed by accident and the mobile app in the middle of updating, unplugging it did nothing, I had to chuck the thing under the sink to reduce the noise until app worked, it's incredibly loud even without an external siren.
Very impressed with it overall, had that one issue with the app being unavailable but otherwise all the sensors work as they should and batteries last ages.
I would probably want a wired system in addition though, if in a high crime area or if I had high value/targeted items, for the extra reliability.

Had a few people sniffing round over the years, but only chancers who try the door handle and walk off.
It helps that the door handle is so stiff, even if it wasn't locked, they wouldn't have realised it anyway :D
Cheap car helps too, dirtier the better.
 
Is the front of your house fully visible from the road? It's better in my opinion not to have cover like high hedges as this gives thieves more confidence that they won't be seen.
 
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Paracelsus said:
Had a few people sniffing round over the years, but only chancers who try the door handle and walk off.
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I find it depressing how many chancers there seem to be these days, it isn't much of an exaggeration to say the farmers and land owners around here are at war with it (as well as the organised stuff like one had generators stolen a few nights ago which would have required a crane). One had plant equipment (machinery) left out the front and disturbed 3 different parties seeing if they could quickly get away with it and that was probably just people in passing, there have been several instances where they've left a trailer unattended for a short period while doing work only to find someone has hitched it up and gone off with it, etc.

Not to mention the number these days who shamelessly take from the honesty boxes.
 
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Quinnaay said:
Explain? I’m having new handles on Side door and conservatory (one they broke into) but never mentioned front door handle however i did say to upgrade the lock. If it’s no good then it needs addressing is all.

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Virtually same as my door and handles i had except didn’t have the ultion and they seem to say it works.
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Someone more knowledgeable will come along, but basically to get the 3 star rating and intent, you need a door handle and locket and frame that is also up to par.
 
Have cameras front and back. Back door is all glass, front door leads into the porch where there is another door but let's face it, if someone wanted to get in front or back, they'll find a way.
 
Hikvision CCTV backed up by Ring CCTV and Ring Floodlights. Alexa indoors announces very loudly if it picks anything up... Slightly annoying if 2 big birds fly into the frame as it thinks its a human but this is fairly rare.

Also have samsung smartthings turn lights on when some motion sensors are triggered.

And big electric gates.
 
radderfire said:
Is the front of your house fully visible from the road? It's better in my opinion not to have cover like high hedges as this gives thieves more confidence that they won't be seen.
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Yeah it’s fully visible and open plan these guys walked round the streets for 20-30 mins shining torches at houses and cars before settling on mine. Now I think about it though nearly all houses near me has a visible flashing house alarm, and tougher access to the rear of the house they just walked round the back of my house as it’s just a cheap metal gate that you can see straight through and it wasn’t locked.

I can only assume they shone a light on my upvc side door and fancied there luck, they tried and failed then went to the conservatory.


My ring door bell didn’t even pick them up taking the car not impressed.
 
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dlockers said:
Someone more knowledgeable will come along, but basically to get the 3 star rating and intent, you need a door handle and locket and frame that is also up to par.
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I’d agree in that it makes it 3 star or way more effective but the lock itself is the prize piece and from what I’ve been told is usually enough to stop entry. That being said I was told that if there at it long enough and have the tools they can take out any lock as they have to be breakable for fire purposes.
 
Quinnaay said:
I’d agree in that it makes it 3 star or way more effective but the lock itself is the prize piece and from what I’ve been told is usually enough to stop entry. That being said I was told that if there at it long enough and have the tools they can take out any lock as they have to be breakable for fire purposes.
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Presumably your doors have glass too
 
dlockers said:
Someone more knowledgeable will come along, but basically to get the 3 star rating and intent, you need a door handle and locket and frame that is also up to par.
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This depends completely on the lock in question.

A 3 star lock is a 3 star lock.
A non 3 star lock can become a 3 star locking system if it is installed in the correct handle.

Of course there's no point installing a 3 star lock (or handle) in a flimsy plywood door :p

It literally only tests the quality/security features of the lock, your security is only going to be as strong as the weakest link.
 
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dlockers said:
Presumably your doors have glass too
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Yes and I have windows too, but rarely will people put the glass through as it makes too much noise and if they do I’d rather be out the house. In which case there wouldn’t be a nice car on the front nor much in the house valuable to steal. The fact they got in my home without me knowing whilst we was all asleep is the main issue, if I can make them make noise and/or slow them down I have a chance of it not happening or making them go elsewhere
 
Not much risk here, car is not worth nicking and doesn't have keyless entry, locked doors deter any chancers, not worth anyone risking trying to break in. So I don't think it's worth spending on security gadgets.
 
mattyg said:
Hikvision CCTV backed up by Ring CCTV and Ring Floodlights. Alexa indoors announces very loudly if it picks anything up... Slightly annoying if 2 big birds fly into the frame as it thinks its a human but this is fairly rare.

Also have samsung smartthings turn lights on when some motion sensors are triggered.

And big electric gates.
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The lad I did part time work for had big electric gate's- He owned a metal fabricating company so they were big and heavy- He rang me one morning asking if I had borrowed his trailer.
It seems the caravan lads just used their truck to push gates open and it broke the threaded rod system that opens and shut's the gate -They virtually just walked in.
Also before walking in one went round and pulled all lights and PIRs off brackets - They then went about filling trailer with chain saws etc from locked container further up garden..
 
DXP55 said:
The lad I did part time work for had big electric gate's- He owned a metal fabricating company so they were big and heavy- He rang me one morning asking if I had borrowed his trailer.
It seems the caravan lads just used their truck to push gates open and it broke the threaded rod system that opens and shut's the gate -They virtually just walked in.
Also before walking in one went round and pulled all lights and PIRs off brackets - They then went about filling trailer with chain saws etc from locked container further up garden..
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Oh for sure they aren't prison gates. But they also have sensors on them when they open and close. Its not a one fits all but we have several lines of notifications. So at least I can watch it happen and notify the police.


If they want to get in they'll get in!

What is it they say about locks.. "Locks just keep honest people honest"

Plus were insured...
 
Since the earliest of days the first line of defence was to make it harder for your enemies or door to door sales people getting close to your dwelling, castle etc.

I always recommend looking at how easy it is to get in first, before looking at alarms and camera's, which tbh, if they want to get in they will and the junky looking for items to sell is not going to worry too much about being caught or captured on video.

Walk around and look for weak spots on the outside of your property, bribe a young family member to see how quickly they could get into your garden, or hide from you.
Plant things like Pyracanthas in those weak spots, or aim good lighting on motion sensors at those weak spots, anti cat spikes work well on fences and the like.

With camera's and home security in general I would look at products that can send instant alerts to multiple people in the event of the property being tampered with, with trusted neighbours that may be in all day a good choice.
 
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bimbleuk said:
I've used Reolink CCTV for several years more because they've been around for several years and have a fully featured website. Usually cheaper to buy direct from their own sales. Which are always on of course.

These days you can setup cameras to do various alert methods from simple movement to face/plate recognition. The other advantage is instant streaming via a peer to peer system shared by manufacturers. Get an alert, get your phone out and see what's happening.

I'd install that now via CCTV just to be able to see my property from anyway, anytime.

Otherwise anything that'll slow them, give a visual/audible warning of detection or just get some Geese!
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I use Reolink cams hooked up to Synology Surveillance Station on my NAS, and integrated into HomeAssistant.

Living in a terrace has its benefits security-wise, no-ones getting access to the property without being in full view of several others, most of whom are home all the time.

A decent size dog is going to minimise the chances of your home being broken into. Needs to not be a soft-ass breed though. My family's always had Rhodesian Ridgebacks, which are a good size, good temperament, but will absolutely stop any stranger coming onto the property, without being a dangerous liability.
 
Are you going to buy another relatively nice car? It's sad to say but this is the reason houses are broken into these days.

I would focus your initial efforts on making it hard to get round the back of your house, i.e. high protected side gate.

I'm not a security expert, but I would have thought conservatories are easy to break into because of all the windows. Wouldn't they be able to force the windows somehow? I'm thinking maybe you need to use an upgraded internal door where the conservatory joins the house.

I would also say motion activated floodlights at the front of the house, and motion activated alarm for the side passage.

You must have had your car keys in an obvious location. Personally I would have the keys in a difficult to find place. There is a counter argument to this though, that it's just best to let them have the keys as you do want to be in harms way. This is why I would not want a particularly desirable car, sadly.

As others have said, it is all about creating layer upon layer of security to slow them down.
 
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My neighbours have nicer cars than me :D that is my security. Also the dog.

I don't really like the look of cctv cameras but suppose I do have a doorbell camera.
 
House pets are cowards 99/100 times. People think they have a tough dog because its (insert breed), but in reality they'll make noise as they run away. A properly trained guard dog is a 10k investment.
 
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