Has your home/flat been burgled? If so, have got some questions to ask

[Earlybird]

We were burgled last Sunday, in the morning - broad daylight. No one was home, thankfully.

Thief entered back garden (presumably through gate, as I found it open) and, shielded from view by garden fence and thick foliage on trees, broke glass and crawled in through a window.

The alarm was on, but did not sound - leading police to speculate this burglar knew what they were doing. Appears thief knew exactly what they wanted too - only jewelry and money is missing. Only master bedroom area seems to have been targeted (completely ransacked).

Here are my questions:

• After you were burgled, what (if any) practical changes did you make to feel safer in future?
• What did you do (if anything) to feel comfortable/safe in your house again?

Up 'til now, I had felt quite safe in my middle class neighborhood in a leafy suburb. Also as I work from home and have a somewhat varied schedule, would not have thought we were particularly vulnerable.

Any advice much appreciated.

First, sorry to hear about your burglary.

Secondly, we were burgled a few years ago, whilst living in East London. They took out a small sash window at the back of the house, and the guy who replaced it told us he'd been doing that job for 5 years, and had never come across a broken-into house that had a dog. If burglars hear a dog barking, they tend to move onto the next house.

Failing getting a dog or two, ask the police to advise you on precautions?

And, once we'd been able to clean after the fingerprint team had left us, I felt comfortable again in my own house. Maybe because we'd been living in London, but I almost expected to be burgled at some point, so it wasn't a huge surprise.

Thanks for your reply.

We have a small dog, who is put in a crate whenever we leave home. I know he would have barked like mad, but is not vicious. Obviously was no threat to an intruder in the crate. Actually, am glad dog was in the crate because a well-aimed kick would have done him real damage.

We were burgled in February - sounds very like your burglary, except they jemmied open our French windows at the back (old, wooden frames). It was also broad daylight - between 12 and 4pm.

They went through most of the house, but were only looking for jewellery and money. (they also took our passports and some credit cards).

The police said this wasn't unusual - thieves tend to specialise in the items that they nick. Jewellery is also easy to just chuck in a bag, of course.

We had a better lock fitted on our back door - 5 lever lock rather than the 2 lever lock that was there before - and some extra bolts.

I am planning to get some plantation blinds fitted in the front window, so that no-one can see in from the street to gauge whether or not there is anyone in. Our lounge/dining room is one long through room, and you can see in from the street - it can look as if the house is empty. I work from home a lot, but upstairs, so now I'm scared that it might happen when I'm actually in.

I have been working downstairs with my laptop much more often, or make sure that the radio/tv is on downstairs if I'm upstairs, so that there is at least some noise to put them off.

Thankfully most of the jewellery I had stolen wasn't especially valuable (although there was a lot of sentimental value attached to it), and I'm getting a nice, fat cheque from the insurance company to replace it.

One of the things I wish had done, and which I must do with the stuff I do have, is to photograph it. I have receipts/valuations for a lot of my nicer pieces, but no actual physical record of it, and this would have made it a lot easier for the police to try and trace it - and also a lot easier for the insurance company to value it.

Our big items, such as TVs, X-boxes, etc were not touched - but they are all marked with Smart Water (which our police supplied for free), and we have a sticker in the front window warning likely burglars of that.

BIWI - sorry to hear of your experience. It is so unsettling to know someone has entered your home illegally. It is a small consolation to know that they clearly did not wish to encounter anyone - but equally creepy to think that they may have watched me leave the house.

I have an alarm system, which was on and functioning correctly. I also have a 'glass break' feature, which should have activated when glass was broken. But have been advised that 'tempered safety glass' (which this was) makes a different sound to 'regular' glass and that may be why nothing was triggered.

I also have a motion detector sensor in the sitting room that the thief successfully avoided - we have speculated that he/she belly-crawled across the floor.

I honestly don't know what else i can do - short of turning the house into 'Fort Knox' with security cameras etc. The policeman said 'they'll find a way in, if they are determined. Even the Queen ended up with someone in her bedroom'. That is NOT comforting.

All you can do is try and make it more difficult for them. That's the sad fact.

I think that making your garden as secure as possible is important so people can't get round the back and be able to spend time forcing windows/doors open unseen.

We have a high (7ft) fence round our garden and when we moved here the first thing I did was replace the little gate with a tall gate. It is bolted top and bottom and the bolts are always done up, even when we're in.

Our neighbours have small gates that you can hop over and I think that if someone was casing up the houses in the street ours would surely be the last to be targeted as its mroe secure than the others. Saying that we don't have an alarm system due to the pets. But I do have a big, if soppy, dog.

So sorry to hear that.

We've been burgled twice.

First time in a first floor flat, they kicked the front door in. After that the police suggested a lamp on a timer, and we have always always had one since. They took everything they could fit in the bags they also stole.

Second time. House, we were asleep upstairs. In through the front door, latched, but not double locked. They must have only been in for seconds. Took the car keys (nice BMW estate, and brand new Mini Cooper ) and our wallets, from the kitchen worktop. Let the dog out in the street, where she was picked up by the fire brigade .

We had an alarm fitted, with zones set for night time and daytime use. The keys are now stored on a key rack out of sight. Emergency keys kept in a pot with a lid by each door. Always close the downstairs curtains at night was the police advice that time. I always used to open them before we went to bed, but realise now that that meant they could see there was no one downstairs.

HTH

Tall strong fence and gate at side of house to make it difficult to get to the back. I actually have barbed wire along the top, and the side fence which opens onto an open area that (used to) be used as a cut-through. Somone climbed over this side fence once in the only attempt I've had, that's why I put the wire up. I believe you are not supposed to have barbed wire, but you can get plastic strip with plastic pointy spikes on it.

Of course, proper locks on all external doors, and mortice rack-bolts top and bottom on all except the Final Exit door. Keys taken out and concealed in a locked cabinet. Proper solid panelled doors.

Window locks.

Lamps and radios on timers going on and off at different times night and day.

Have got a burglar alarm, you can have sensors on the doors and windows that your pets (presumably) can't open, if you don't want PIRs. Cats can climb to head-height, unlike dogs.

Previously left a key with a retired neighbour but he's got too old now and gave it back.

OOI, Earlybird, why didn't your alarm sound? Would anyone have paid attention if it did?

I would agree with taking photographs of valuable, sentimental items. Also give it a few more days before placing your insurance claim as some items you will not realise are missing until you need them, if you see what I mean.

We were burgled a week after Christmas, several years ago and they took all of my DS's presents, some he hadn't taken out of the box, money, jewellery, watches, passports, our whole collection of PS2 games, over 100, and even the 3 fecking memorey cards (which bothered me the most). They ransacked the living room and our bedroom but in my DS's room the didn't, just headed for all his stuff, this may not sound odd but his room is a funny shape and where the stuff was kept was unusal. We suspected it to be the window cleaners as since the burglery we have not seen them again.

Since then we have had a new neighbour who unfortunatley for her has many medical problems and rarely leaves her flat and is our constant neighbourhood watch. We also have a dog and always leave a lamp on at night if we are out and also in the day during the winter.

I came home with DS to find the front door kicked in and to be honest it took my quite a few weeks to feel safe again, to begin with I would only come home once DH was home :-(

Have dog (crated when we're out as previously described)
Have solid wood doors, with 5 point locks
Have burglar alarm with glass break feature and motion sensor detector
Have high wood fence around garden
Have attached garage, and always park car inside so would be difficult to tell from street if anyone is home
Have timers on 4 lamps in different areas of house

What I don't' have: a secure lock on garden gate. Currently have just a latch.

PigletJohn - I have had two alarm companies out to the house since the break in (mine and another for a 'fresh set of eyes' on the situation). Both shake their heads and say they think it was someone who knows alarm systems very well (and how to get 'round them), and could possibly be someone who has previously been in the house.

Everyone says the alarms should have sounded. And they say it was more skill than luck on the part of the thief - lending credence to the theory that this person really knew what they were doing.

Oh and fwiw - they even took a large painting off a thick bedroom wall. This would indicate they were looking for a wall safe - and it then follows that they would know what to do with a safe if they found one.

Police advised my sister to lock all internal doors when away. It's a big hassle for them if find themselves trapped in a room!

We were burgled last year and they got in through the front bay window. It was locked but used a spade to prise it open. Took all electronic things and even opened my dd birthday cards to check for money. We put extra locks on windows and put an alarm in. It's so horrible.

MM - it is horrible, you're right. We know there are bad people out there, but it is another thing entirely when those people physically invade your world. Front bay window is so brazen!

I keep wondering how/why they chose our house. What made it appear vulnerable? As I said before, have no set routines as I work from home - in fact, i am probably home far more than most i know!

I have taken to setting the alarm at night before I go to bed. Also feel anxious every time I leave the house.

Wow, that sounds like you got burgled by some expert bastard. :( [sympathies]

FWIW... our 'pretending to be home' system is a radio on one of those timer switches, so it comes on and goes off again a couple of times.

Can you get any kind of compensation from the alarm company given that general opinion is it should have gone off and didn't?

OP it is horrible when someone violates your home like that but try to not to waste your energy trying to understand their motivations because you will never know for sure. Unfortunately if someone is really determined to break into your house there isn't much you can do about it. All you can do is try to strike a balance between making your house as secure as possible while not making the security too intrusive to your day to day life.

We were burgled 2 years ago in daylight while we were out at work. They kicked down the back door and stole small electricals like games consoles and laptops. Fortunately they didn't cause much damage and it looks like they were quickly in and out just grabbing what they could see and sell quickly. I think our thieves were just opportunists who happened to notice our rubbish back door.

Not sure about compensation. But know that they do carry insurance for employee 'error and omission' - which is essentially meant to protect them if an employee installed and/or programmed the alarm system incorrectly.

gamerwidow - but that is precisely why this is worrying. An opportunist would simply kick in a door, grab and run.

This thief ignored a laptop computer, i-touch, camera, etc that were all in plain view in the kitchen. They seem to have known what they were doing, and what they wanted (jewelry and cash). They pulled all my handbags off a shelf and looked in all of them, removed the duvet and looked under the mattress, emptied all my drawers, took the large painting off the wall - even took the top off the back of the loo to look in the cistern (I'm told people place cash/valuables inside sealed plastic bags and put them there???). Also, wore gloves as police dusted for prints and could find only smeary blobs.

I have now begun putting telly on whenever we leave the house. No idea if that will serve as a deterrent.

I feel so uneasy and anxious about being in the house, and leaving it unoccupied.

Just seen this thread sorry I'm a bit late!
I got burgled 5 weeks ago they came in through the double doors at the back of my house, it happened between 6pm and 9pm so still fairly light! We live in a really quite area on a very quiet road I'm surprised no neighbours saw or heard anything!
Sounds very familiar to yours though, master bedroom was ransacked but only took money and jewellery, although took off with a pretty hefty safe with our grandparents jewellery in it, bloody scumbags!!
Since the break in, I close my curtains from 7pm and have lights on, my dp works long hours so I'm home alone most evenings
I rarely go out as DS goes to bed at 7 pm, the one night i popped to my mums it happened
Hope you are all sorted since the break in