Those living in detached properties...

[WitchyWay]

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...

Sounds like a really nice place! Burglars might try the front door to see if it’s unlocked but that’s not the only way of gaining entry. If you’re not near neighbours then a door at the front wouldn’t make a difference. I would get CCTV and put cameras in obvious places and make sure the garden/sides of house are really secure. The houses round here with CCTV also have lights that are on dusk-dawn so I assume that’s a good deterrent too. Me neighbour has a gravel driveway and even I can hear when people are coming and going. I’ve also heard it’s a good idea to plant big spiky bushes next to any low fences or walls.
Personally I’ve done work on the inside of my house but not the outside so it looks a bit shabby and like I don’t have anything worth stealing 😂

I remember there used to be a TV programme where people who thought their house was really secure would volunteer for it to be broken into. So it might be worth watching that for some ideas. I remember people being really shocked that they’d overlooked something small and that’s how the burglars got in.

I think about that if we win the lottery (currently 4 bed detached) and buy a huge house such that you couldn't hear someone come in the front door because it's sooo big!

When I was a pre teen, I was left in a holiday apartment alone whilst parents in the bar , not detached really hemmed in by other apartments and a man climbed in through the window at about 11pm and attacked me - so size of dwelling not relevant I would suggest. Although that wasn't opportunistic I suppose.

I've lived in every form of house down through the years, flats, estates, detached in town, detached in the countryside, the only properties broken into was a detached in full view of neighbours and main busy road, and a semi detached in full view of neighbours. currently living in a detached up a long driveway no neighbours within sight or screaming distance, have cameras, useless dogs, and thankfully have had no problems, have proper locks, cameras and you should be fine.

Dogs unless specifically trained can't be depended on.

You're over thinking it but I'm worried that you will feel unrationally anxious in a new house. People struggle to settle in for all sorts of reasons.

Just make sure your house is less appealing than the others around you! Remember how many detached houses there are in the country...yours won't be standing out unless you park a range rover on the drive.

As a country girl I suggest geese are the best security guards for your house. Far lower maintenance than a dog and much louder! Not for everyone i must admit...

My great aunt lived in a detached property in the countryside. She kept geese as her security. They were terrifying to me as a small child. Far more scary than her dog. They're loud and unpredictable. Nobody would willingly risk walking past them to break in.

I also had an aunt with a pair of guard geese (deepest Wales). She had dogs too but her geese were MUCH scarier!

I live in detached rural property as do all my neighbours. I can't remember the last time a house was broken into, it's sheds and outbuildings that get targeted. Usually for quads, bikes etc. We used to get oil stolen from tanks but that hasn't happened for a long time.
We have a dog (pet not guard dog) . He's useless because he doesn't bark and would want pets off any intruders. He looks the part if he's in the garden but that's about it. I think the cat would be more protective 🤔

Burglars don't want to be seen or heard. So a motion controlled flash light for evening is good. Also, a gravel drive.
They will target houses that look affluent- so the big cars are catmint for them!

I’ve lived in houses and flats of all types and configurations. The only one that was ever burgled was my parents house (many times). It was a semi in a really rough area and theirs was the easiest to access for the opportunistic burglar - the only one without a gate between the front and back garden.

I have a detached house with a front garden that also has a fence along the front, so once someone is in the garden, they cannot be seen from the road. and also the front door isn't visible from the road.

I have a gravel drive so anyone walking on it makes a loud crunching noise & I also have a motion detector light at the front. So as soon as anyone comes onto the property, they are noisy and well lit.

The house backs on to 50 acres of water meadows. Anyone stupid enough to try to come that way at the moment would need rescuing from knee deep mud in the pitch black.

I don't own a desirable car, and anyway my car isn't visible from the road so less likely to be spotted.

I have a locking up routine that I follow every night.

I've been here 13 years and no issues so far. But I don't live in a very smart neighbourhood. There are much smarter neighbourhood with richer picking within a mile or two. Also, because we are in a small village I have elderly curtain twitchers as neighbours. They see EVERYTHING that goes on. Boredom I suppose.

Shingle driveway. Imo this is the best deterrent! We do have a dog, but love dogs! He never barks during the day. But if anyone puts as much as a toe on our shingle at nighttime, he barks.

Oops, I guess I am not normal!
We live quite isolated, but about 10 houses in our hamlet. They can't see our house.
We have an open gate and a large tarmaced driveway.
We don't really use the front door so never sure whether it is locked or not. And backdoor regularly isn't locked overnight.
I do have a dog but she'd welcome burglars in....
We recently got a ring doorbell camera though. And when we go away we put lights on timers in different rooms.
Love where we live though! But obviously crime is low around here.

We have a ring doorbell, lights on sensors and a house alarm, even when it isnt set if a door in or out of the house is opened there is a beep to let us know a door has opened

And I’m actually more concerned about burglars now we have a dog because of dog thefts!

I live in a detached property, no other house can see ours or our land.

Safest feeling place I’ve ever lived, if DH goes out for the evening I often leave the door unlocked and go to bed.

I do have dogs who bark if a car turns up but they’re small and friendly and couldn’t protect us from a mouse let alone a burglar.

I have been burgled before, during the day, when I lived in a flat, in a town. It happens, we have insurance.

The main burglaries in my area crop up on our local Facebook page as stolen range rovers.

We have a modest car, though our house has a ring doorbell, alarm and we have security cameras. I usually leave the car keys in close proximity to the door in the hope that if anyone came in whilst we were asleep, they'd take the keys and go.

I live in a detached bungalow down a long drive. Lots of trees. I have to say that sleeping on the ground floor is the worst bit for me. We have spiky bushes under the windows. It's a safe area though. People in nearby villages have had quadbikes stolen and fuel stolen from tanks. I grew up in the city and I do feel a lot safer here. I walk home from the pub down unlit roads with almost no trepidation at all. So you get used to it. Some people here tend to be lax and e.g leave conservatory doors unlocked; others have houses like Fort Knox. I get a neighbour to pick up our (visible) post and bring our recycling boxes in when we're away. We also have DS's crappy car parked on our drive so hopefully that makes us look hard up.
The police used to come out and give advice about security. Maybe they still do?

The only time we have been burgled is when we lived in a terraced house.

It's really unlikely that you will be home when you are burgled. Most burglaries are opportunistic but some are planned. Basically if they really want to get in your house they will, so it's about making your house a hard target and trying to get recordings of the criminals.

I live in a very 'naice' place. One of our neighbours got burgled and it was highly planned by professional criminals - they knew where their weak spot was - they drove through 3 fields and 2 gates to access the back of the property. They were targeted as they had a porsche, range rovers, quad bikes, designer furniture ............. It was / is a very ostentacious house. She was mostly gutted about having all her designer handbags nicked. They took lots of things and wiped everything down after. Our neighbours have since put up cameras and dug a ditch around the fields at the back of their house.

I would not over think this. Put sensible measures in place - cameras, lights etc Don't leave windows open.

The advantages of living in a detached property far outweigh the negatives.

This.

We live in a detached house that has houses behind us but fields in front and to the side and is down a private road that only serves three houses. We don’t have any street lighting outside and I think that actually really helps as rather than providing a burglar a cover of darkness, they genuinely can’t see what they are doing. It is pitch black. We have a motion detector light too so it’s very obvious when someone is outside the property. We also have a ring doorbell type system and cameras covering the garage and back garden too. We drive two fairly standard Toyota cars and so far have never had any bother. People in smaller houses/ attached houses with lots more neighbours that is who are literally 2 streets away on public roads regularly have their massive 4x4 cars stolen.
Previously we lived in an end terrace at the entrance to a busy estate with a street light outside our lounge and I felt much more vulnerable there…indeed our car was broken into one night.

Dogs get stolen too!!

Interesting video here where a burglar talks about how obvious security and CCTV made the house more appealing to break in as not only are you suggesting there's valuable items inside, but they usually know how to bypass these systems so they can approach with a clear idea of what is greeting them. Dogs are then dealt with by giving them chicken etc and if there is a dog you won't be able to activate all motion sensors either.

I would personally have a good but not advertised security system and would not have a flashy car.

https://www.tiktok.com/@ianbick/video/7354150075330792747?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7359564525999867424

I just came on to suggest a gander, neck outstretched, wings flapping, a fearsome sight - the burglar most likely to slip on goose shit before he gets close to the house anyway.
Despite a pen, cosy house, ours used to sleep under the porch, next to the door, very protective. I would hand feed mine toast crusts for breakfast, they were devoted. Visitors would stop on the lane, phone, can you move the geese please.

Our dogs would have rolled over for a tummy scratch. We parked a little old car
at the front, large vehicles behind the house.

Peacocks too, nest in trees, kept in India as early warning of intruders, their screeching a deterrent.

A lamp in the window too, more effective than the hall light on ! fooling no one.

I've lived in a flat, terraced, semi, and detached. The only time we were burgled was in a semi. The only time we had a car stolen was when living in a flat (London).

I now live in a rural area in cul de sac of detached houses and none of us has been burgled (or had a car stolen) since I moved here about 10 years ago. None of us have cars which would attract the interest of thieves though. We have good door/window locks but no intruder alarm (or dog).

Our house is similar, it's detached and down a drive and you're not visible from the road once you're standing outside it. We haven't been burgled (touches wood) but we have the following:

Gravel drive
Outside lights that are always on at night
An alarm that is on if we are out and at night
A panic button next to the bed that goes to the police

Most of the windows are too small to climb through

Locks on all the windows and all the doors to the outside

There are 4 doors to the outside, one has a lock with the key out of sight and reach (although we could get to it in a fire) plus 2 bolts on the inside
Two of them have a huge metal bar across them plus bolts plus yale and mortice locks
The 4th has a key in a lock and also 2 bolts and there's no glass in the door.

This thread has made me realise that there is one window that's a definite weakness, it doesn't lock and you could climb through it if you broke the glass. Although the alarm would go off if you got in. So I'm going to get that fixed!