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...

Your set up seems similar to ours we have two very large security lights on the front that are so sensitive they go off if a car goes past on the road. We were worried about it annoying the neighbours but they love it as it helps security on the street generally. We also have security lights all the way around so literally anyone approaching the house gets lit up like Blackpool. We do have CCTV and Ring as well. We got Ring to link to the Alexas have announcements for when motion is detected the volume is quite loud so in the daytime if people approach it notifies them we know they are there if that makes sense? We know before we brought the house and renovated it, it was broken into a few times as the lady was elderly and lived alone, absolutely no security measures at all. We are looking to do our drive next and debating gravel as our neighbours have them and you can hear anyone or anything crossing them but tbf the lights seem to be an effective deterrent.

Buy the property and get help with your anxiety. The property isn't the issue here, your anxiety is.

@QueenofTheBorg

Genuinely, just wondering why you have a panic button? That just seems a bit OTT but obviously we all have our reasons

There's lots of good ideas here, the only thing I can think to add:
Add fake gate latches on the opposite side so if someone tries, it doesn't open - they'll also put force on the strongest point
Consider bird/cat spike deterrents, plastic strips can be screwed to the top of fences. Do not be tempted to do things like barb wire or broken glass.
I'm not sure it does anything but we also don't have a letterbox on the door, we have an external postbox. Mentally it makes me feel better someone couldn't peer in

I did get broken into (terrace home) and I was in at the time. It is terrifying but, it was opportunistic as soon as they realised someone was in they were also scared and left! Took my handbag and my confidence - the only thing that helped was getting a more secure door/better locks and no glass and time. Most people though are burglars, they want in and out, not to cause physical harm so make noise, let them know someone's there but lock yourself in the bathroom

Our gates clang, video doorbell which covers entire front of property and floodlights. My old place had a gravel driveway, which was a PITA, but you can hear anyone walking on it. Or geese, noisy pecky fuckers - run that gauntlet at your peril.

@Pipsquiggle The panic button was there when we moved in as part of the alarm set up, we didn't put it in. However, it was under the bed (WTF?) so we did get it moved to next to the bed as it seemed to make more sense. It's small and unobtrusive, you wouldn't know it was there. There was no point in getting rid of it as it's part of the existing alarm system. The difference between it and the main alarm is that it is silent and goes to the police (as does the main alarm). I've never used it.

I am a semi detached in a nicer area and had an attempted burglary a few years ago. A few weeks ago a neighbour over the road WAS burgled, also semi detached. Being detached doesn’t make you a bigger target, every house is fair game.

Absolutely. I'm amazed at the number of people who seem to lie awake at night worrying about this stuff.

I do a fair bit of lying awake at night and worrying, but absolutely not about this.

Thanks everyone, never have I felt more thankful for our older, unflashy cars!

Hearing that cars are the prized goal now is reassuring as is hearing that many have had more issues in terraces than detached properties. Our area is generally safe and we're not flashy people, I have no possessions that are particularly valuable on the secondhand market, I just don't want me and my family to go through the invasion of space and feelings of violation and vulnerability. I'll put in place cameras, secure locks and motion lights and see how we go.

Don't worry for those who mentioned not to get a dog unless we want one, I totally agree. It's a potential for the future but currently don't have the time or inclination to get one! Geese is an unusual suggestion, sadly we aren't rural so not an option!

Oh, and haha to those who think I have anxiety and need help for it.

1. anxiety is a healthy and normal emotion when faced with the prospect of danger.

2. security is a real life consideration. If you don't consider it, then more fool you.

3. as a grown, intelligent woman, I'm well able to manage my own life and needs. But thanks for the concern 😂🙄

Ask your local crime prevention officer to come and have a look and make suggestions? They're the ones who would know.

We put cabin hooks on the internal doors in our house (at the top do the kids couldn't reach them) so that if anyone got in overnight, hopefully they'd make noise to wake us up and then give up as they couldn't get into the hall and the rest of the house. Gravel under windows and plants that make it tricky to climb in. Wooden blinds in the bay window. Car keys etc left downstairs overnight so if they really want my old Honda they can just take it! DH used to park his much nicer car on the road but not always in front of the house so in theory a burglar wouldn't know which house to go in for the keys. He also refuses to do anything about the state of the drive as he thinks it makes us look like we can't afford nice stuff. I think you just do as much as you're comfortable doing and then just hope they go somewhere else. That said, on the very rare occasion I'm alone overnight I do barricade my bedroom door, just in case. But as others have said, the benefits of bring detached outweigh any security risks.

@WitchyWay But your idea of the "prospect of danger" seems really excessive. I genuinely think you've blown the risks up in your mind way out of sync with reality.

@PrimitivePerson are you saying I'm out of sync with reality? What, by asking for ways to prevent burglary? Do you not understand that people can and do get burgled?

I think you're trying to have a catty way of digging at someone online. My concerns over burglary are proportional and normal. They don't keep me up all night. I don't think about it regularly. I do consider it as a responsible parent and person. Thank though.

We live in a detached house. We were burgled not long after we moved in. We installed shutters on the downstairs windows, which are operated electrically. We also have an alarm, security lights and cameras. We put the shutters down at night and every time we go out. I do feel safe.

I was very worried about this when we moved to our house 15 years ago. It is set back from the road down a long drive. We are on a busy semi rural road but are surrounded by fields on three sides. When we first moved here I forced myself to go outside in the dark and walk around and just get used to it. Over time I just got used to it.

We don't have any security measures that people have mentioned on here.

I don't want to live like that and I don't think any of it will really put someone off. We lock the doors and windows but that is it. We have crappy old cars and I think it is obvious we don't have anything worth stealing. We have never had any trouble at all.

You do get used to it. I thought about getting an alarm system etc...but we never really had the money for it and something about lots of obvious security measures probably gives the impression we have something worth stealing and we really don't.

Gates on the end of the driveway that need a code or a zapper to open from the roadside direction and also when leaving

CCTV at end of driveway and around house

Security lights

We have electric gates, security cameras, motion sensitive lights and a dog (Rottweiler). The dog is the only one where added security is a happy accident, I wouldn't recommend getting a dog to anyone whose primary motivation is security, they take a lot of time, commitment and effort.

Surely the risk of burglary depends on where you live.

Having said that we live in a town which is perceived as a place you wouldn't want to live. But actually the area I live in is a nice place.

We live at the end of a close in a detached house we have CCTV and the risk of burglary has never been on our radar, we also have no street lights.

It is best to make you house the look the least inviting to break into. So house alarms, CCTV and metal gates on the drive.

I was burgled when I lived right on a main A road in the middle of the day that took over £30k of stuff in 15 mins. Also had an intruder at night when we were in at that house. Police said easy target on main road to cruise by see house pull up a little on road on walk back on pavement.
Now I live up a lane away from other people feel much safer here. We do have gravel ( anything else would be good expensive), a ring door bell and security lights. We do have dogs because we wanted dogs.
I am often here alone and it is the safest most comfortable home I have lived in.

I live on a small estate of detached houses, none of us have ever been burgled.

We’re in a detached that’s tucked away with a big drive with land around it (inc woods at the back). Think it probably looks too dark and spookily for burglars! Seriously, to get anything away from here they’d need to bring a vehicle down and then the dogs would go berserk with the gravel. There’s barely any crime round here, so mainly shed burglaries occasionally and then local Facebook pages go berserk.

I felt more worried in a city in a terraced house, a few things happened there.

I wouldn't offer on a property where I didn't feel comfortable. Wondering if you really want to?
I do have clinical anxiety and, for me, my home needs to be my safe space.