Garage break-ins are everyone’s worst nightmare. Not only do our personal belongings get taken or broken, but the whole situation feels like an incredibly intrusive experience that leaves many feeling vulnerable. Unfortunately, these situations are not uncommon therefore, it is crucial you actively go out of your way to reduce your chances of potential garage break-ins.
Although this guide cannot guarantee you won’t ever have to experience a garage break-in, it does provide very helpful advice that could help reduce the chances of a successful break-in.
Here are our top tips for reducing garage break-ins.
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Lock it up!
Locking your garage is one of the best preventative measures you can take when trying to reduce garage break-ins. It may seem obvious but, you would be surprised at how easy it is to forget to do so! Even If you are in and out of your garage throughout the day – lock it!
An open door does attract unwelcome visitors and allows you to become a prime target for those opportunists who happen to pass by. Open unattended doors will showcase to others what items of value are inside, which gives those wishing to steal a great insight without having to try.
It may be worth considering installing a timer to your garage door for reassurance. This will guarantee that your garage door will close after a certain amount of time, keeping your possessions safe.
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Lock up valuables!
Of course, some thieves are undeterred by the initial lock and will continue to persist. These criminals are however on limited time usually. That is why you should keep all your valuables in your garage locked up. Whether it is in a safe, tied down with a heavy chain or padlocked – these will all help towards reducing a successful garage break-in. This makes the whole situation a bit more problematic for the thieves as they’ll be struggling to gain access to your valuables in such a rush.
Items such as bikes, sports equipment and tools are all considered desirable items for thieves. So, lock them up, put them somewhere safe and purchase any necessary locking systems for them.
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Mark the valuables!
Marking your valuables would be the next step in reducing successful garage break-ins. You can use an approved forensic marking solution that is only visible under Ultraviolet light. Often your local Police Station host pop-up events where you can take valuables to be marked.
You can also register your property for free with Immobilise, which the police can use to identify the owners of stolen property. Meaning that if the item is taken and later found, you will get it back.
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Get security accessories!
Alarmed garage doors are always a sensible option but, you may already have a garage door that doesn’t have an alarm. This tip works for both kinds of garage doors.
Fortunately, there is a lot of technology out there that can provide extra or initial security that works well to reduce garage break-ins. These include:
- Security Alarms.
- Motion Sensors.
- Security Lights.
- Security Cameras.
Any of these will help provide more security to your garage. Putting up notices/stickers that notify those who may be planning a break-in that you have security systems in place, acts as a great deterrent.
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Be proactive!
Taking everyday precautions is vital when trying to reduce garage break-ins. These simple precautions include:
- Putting your garage key or fob in a safe place away from the door.
- If possible, block the garage door by parking a vehicle in front of it.
- Lock your garage doors and any adjoining doors.
- Replace old, faulty or damaged door/s.
We hope these tips have given you helpful advice for reducing garage break-ins. It is great to be actively working on securing your garage doors. That is why it is a good idea to reach out to reliable a garage door company such as Hipwoods.
We provide a variety of high-quality garage doors that not only help keep your garage safe but also compliment your property.
Should you need any guidance or would like us to answer any questions you may have, please feel free to contact us!