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Original poster

Those living in detached properties...

123 replies

WitchyWay · 19/04/2024 07:39

Hey, I'd love some advice/experience please.

Disclaimer: I've always had a huge fear of being burgled. No idea why as it's never happened thus far, but it's a big fear of mine especially now I have children. I'm also ashamed to say I'm still scared of the dark!

Disclaimer: we don't have loads of cash, this house needs work, hence it's affordable.

Anyway, we have always lived in terrace or semi properties and I grew up in the same but we are close to offering on a detached property that has it's own drive. The way the long driveway is means the house isn't viewable from the road. The entry way is also quite uniquely placed in that the doorway isn't viewable from the front of the property either. I suspect it would be a burgled dream! The neighbours aren't close enough to be a concern to any potential intruder.

If you have a similar property, do you worry about this? What measures have you put in place to prevent it?

We'll definitely put security cameras and motion lights on the front and back. I'm wondering if we should get a security system or if that's a waste of money? We're not really dog people but even wondering if that would be a good idea?!

I've heard that most break-ins are usually to steal the cars these days which would be fine, our cars aren't fancy and this wouldn't worry me as much as someone coming and ransacking the house or approaching us in the night.

I love my current semi and have always felt safe. I'm now wondering, despite it offering the much needed space we need, if moving to a detached that's not part of a cul-de-sac etc is a good idea...

OP posts:
Loveskin2024 · 19/04/2024 07:48

I live in a detached. All my neighbours who have been burgled it’s been for the big silly 4x4 cars. We’ve got a crap little car and fingers crossed no one is interested so far 🤞🙏🤞.

PervOrNoPerv · 19/04/2024 07:51

Don’t get a dog as a deterrent for burglars. Dogs require a huge amount of time and effort to train and look after.

ilovebagpuss · 19/04/2024 07:54

I would get good security cameras and signs at bottom of drive beware of the dog/cctv in place etc. Maybe get a ring doorbell.
I know lots of semi rural/rural people and it's usually outbuildings and farm equipment or cars/landrovers they go for rather than inside the house theft.
I would be tempted to get a dog a decent size dog to enjoy as well as for a bit of extra security.

Crapuscular · 19/04/2024 07:56

We have a dog and CCTV.

Loveskin2024 · 19/04/2024 08:00

all my neighbours who have been burgled have dogs and ring cameras, it doesn’t put burglars off. They want the big range rovers

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 19/04/2024 08:02

Ours is detached, but close to others, not at all isolated. At one point we tried to move to a bigger, more isolated property, not far away but down an unlit lane, lined with what I call a lot of ‘lurky’ shrubbery. The purchase fell through, and I was very disappointed for a while, but have since been very glad we stayed put - not just from a burglary POV, but esp. after dds reached their teens and were out a lot at night. There would still have been a frequent bus service a 15 minute walk away, but I’d never have felt comfortable with them coming home alone after dark to that house.

Having said that, if you do make the move, apart from all the other precautions, do get a big dog - with a loud, scary woof!

Didyarighto · 19/04/2024 08:04

Don't be flash and don't have a desirable car (which includes ford fiestas). Look up the most stolen cars and get anything but them.
Have good insurance
Lock up bikes in a shed.

MagpiePi · 19/04/2024 08:05

Don’t get a dog purely as a security measure!
Get good locks on all doors and windows, and a burglar alarm and extend to outbuildings if necessary. Think about how you might prevent burglars from getting onto the property, but then that might also limit deliveries.
I have an alarm where you can easily include or exclude zones, so I set it to ignore upstairs movement overnight. Not sure what I’d do if someone did break in downstairs though. They’d probably look at the mess and assume someone had already done it over!

DisplayPurposesOnly · 19/04/2024 08:06

We're not really dog people but even wondering if that would be a good idea?!

If you're not dog people, don't get a dog. (You're thinking about what a dog can do for you. The question is what you can do for a dog.)

Loveskin2024 · 19/04/2024 08:06

Burglars carry weapons, any dog will be chips

SevenSeasOfRhye · 19/04/2024 08:08

I have had a terrible fear of burglary since our house was burgled when I was a teenager, and I've felt equally anxious whether living in a terrace, semi or detached. I worry about it all the time when we are away, and on the way home I'm a nervous wreck (we don't have anyone who can come in to check on the house). I don't have any solutions. I have a detailed checklist when I go away including all security measures such as checking the windows are locked, valuables (not that I have much of great value) are out of sight and so on. That helps a little because at least I am not worrying that we left a door unlocked or whatever.

AllThePotatoesAreSinging · 19/04/2024 08:09

We’ve got a good alarm system, if it’s triggered the house fills with smoke so burglars won’t be able to see anything to steal. We don’t have a flash car. The only valuable on display is the telly and good luck to them carrying that down the pub.

Loveskin2024 · 19/04/2024 08:10

@AllThePotatoesAreSinging does it ever get triggered by mistake? 😂

Panicmode1 · 19/04/2024 08:10

My parents live in a big, isolated detached house - and I'm sorry to say this is relevant - near to an illegal traveller camp. The police have advised locals that they know it is the travellers (stolen stuff is often found on their land and the neighbour opposite has CCTV so it's provable), but they won't do anything because the travellers have threatened the families of the police....that's a whole other nightmare story.

However, my parents have never had anyone in the house (they have alarms, window locks, security lights etc, but have now had to put a steel door/alarms on the outbuildings where they keep the garden tractors and equipment because they have been stolen at least twice. They have also had all of the fruit stripped from trees (plums and cherries) when they were away.

Do not get a dog purely for security - they need a lot of work - get a dog if you want one!

CadyEastman · 19/04/2024 08:13

I've lived in a detached, terraced, a flat and a semi. Was only ever burgled in the flat where I had neighbours above me and to the side.

Like others have said, make sure you have good locks and security cameras and that your insurance covers everything (use a decent contents insurance calculator).

I'd also put locks on your gates.

None of this will stop a burglar if they are determined but it should put off the casual chancer.

AllThePotatoesAreSinging · 19/04/2024 08:17

Loveskin2024 · 19/04/2024 08:10

@AllThePotatoesAreSinging does it ever get triggered by mistake? 😂

We get a few seconds of the alarm buzzing when triggered (we’ve forgotten it was on and opened doors or windows). If we don’t switch it off then that’s when the smoke comes out. So far we’ve always got there in time (although quite a few years ago I managed to set off the one at work when a disgruntled staff member quit at the end of shift and changed the code on his way out- lucky me was first in the next morning!)

There are a lot of ways for the owner to turn it off - we’ve got a portable fob, key fobs, apps on the phone.

If there’s a power cut it flags as tamper. We’ve accidentally knocked a sensor off the door before. It’s a managed service so when that happens it flags as a tamper and a little voice comes through the box on the wall, if they can’t reach us that way they give us a phone call. Both of these contacts ask us for our code word. They send the police if it can’t be provided.

We can also enter a code on the wall box to switch it off, and there’s also a code to enter to raise the alarm - if someone follows you in for example.

Letsrunabath · 19/04/2024 08:18

We live in a very similar house to your description but in a low crime area. The one thing we do is keep our car keys in a faraday box as that’s what most criminals are after. Also we have a bell on our gate, and a useless big dog but hopefully anyone breaking in would be scared of the size he is.

LetYourHairDownClaire · 19/04/2024 08:20

My property doesn't face the road and you can't see it from the drive entrance. Makes me sound like Downton Abbey but it is just tucked away. We have Ring cameras covering the drive, CCTV monitoring signs, also a printed if we didn't invite you to the house fuck off signs for cold callers so that massively reduces the number of people hovering at the door.

The cameras have lights and motion sensing, the doors are alarmed as well as the usual PIR. What I will say is wifi can be blocked so criminals can jam the signal rendering the Ring system useless so a wired system would be better.

However, if they want to get in they will get in. We have normal cars, decent but not worth nicking. Criminals will wear hats and scarves around their faces so you cannot see who they are on cameras. Both Dh and I were burgled in our parents' homes as children, my car was broken into on my drive here, no smashed windows but a sophisticated car unlocking thing, three others were done on the same street. They must have been very disappointed with children's song CDs (yes it was that long ago) plastic cutlery and napkins, no cash, nothing worth taking at all. Sat nav was in the house because we always removed it.

HullaBallu · 19/04/2024 08:21

Don't get a dog - this will only top add to the list of things you'll worry about getting stolen or harmed.

ringoffiire · 19/04/2024 08:22

The only time I've been burgled was when I lived in a terraced house.

Being in a detached house doesn't make you more likely to get burgled.

It's more likely if you have big fancy cars or things that are obvious/ on display that people will want to steal.

Loveskin2024 · 19/04/2024 08:24

@AllThePotatoesAreSinging sounds like a good system!

Zippedydoodahday · 19/04/2024 08:25

Don't get a dog. To be any kind of deterrent you'd need a big powerful guarding breed, and if you're not dog people and therefore don't meet its needs it will be more of a risk to you and your family than a burglar.

CatherinedeBourgh · 19/04/2024 08:26

I live in a detached house like you describe. My previous house was in the middle of a forest, over a mile from the nearest house.

I feel safest when I am away from everything. Most crime is opportunistic, someone sees the open window or whatever and goes in. For my houses you would have had to plan it out, and we don't have anything that is steal-worthy at that scale.

Have never had a burglary.

WildFlowerBees · 19/04/2024 08:26

Could you put gates at the end of your drive, there's no one thing that prevents burglars it's a layering, making it difficult for them. Good locks on doors and windows. Motion detected lights on the drive and around the house. Keys in a faraday box. Is your area low crime?

Droolylabradors · 19/04/2024 08:30

Always lived in detached houses. It doesn't bother me now but it did.

We put in massive alarm system at old house and it made me more nervous.
I now have two very loud dogs but no alarm and feel MUCH safer. Both labradors but one tries to kill the postman so I know a burger wouldn't have a chance!!

One side of our house would be almost impossible to approach as it's steep wood, the other side is fast A road and the other side can't been seen from the neighbours or the road. I can sleep here without DH in the house and feel totally fine.