Home security

We have security lights and cameras, front and back.

I have a burglar alarm but have never used it since moving here
Maybe I'm lucky but I have no home security. When my lock failed in the winter I had to leave the house unlocked several times and it didn't bother me.
Same with the car, often forget to lock it but nothing has ever happened.
I must be trusting my luck but I have very close neighbours and we watch out for each other.
It's funny but when I moved here people warned me that it was a high crime area- nothing could be further from the truth I have never felt safer living anywhere in my life.
The only person I know who has been burgled is the one with the fancy security system. I think it sends a message that they had things worth stealing maybe?

One of the original residents on this development built his own house and it has steel roller shutters on all the windows. They aren’t used daily, only when the occupants are away on holiday.
They aren’t pretty, but I guess they do the job, but this is a low crime and neighbourhood watch area and we all have security alarms to which the neighbours respond.

We have security lights but no burglar alarm. After two attempted burglaries (same person, two weeks apart) we put shingle on the paths all round our house. It’s very crunchy and noisy. We have those windows that can only open a few inches and fortunately the intruder was unable to open it from the outside. He’d have got a shock if he’d succeeded as would have landed on OH asleep in bed.

Having read the OP again and the location of the property - what about a monitored system?
Much as I hate the Verisure ads, it would seem they send out someone if the system is triggered.

Alarm with passive lights doorbell with cameras on our house. I think it’s a good idea if our house was isolated I would consider shutters. Some houses off the beaten track here have cast iron grill screens on the downstairs windows.

I would hate shutters. That would only serve to make me feel more vulnerable.

Burglar alarm plus security lights back and front.

We have been burgled, but I’m pretty sure it must have been because we had forgotten to lock the French windows to the garden before going to bed. There was no sign of anything forced.

After a neighbour was burgled - evidently all too easily via the front door - we invariably double-lock and bolt it now.

My neighbour’s dog barks if anyone comes down the path. She was worried it might bother me, but I’m glad of it as it’s not all day long.
I used to leave a light on all night long and when away on holiday but I’m conscious of the bills now. My ‘welcome’ night needs fixing. My mother used to say she had turned off her burglar alarm as she would have a heart attack if it went off😁Same here.
Some neighbours around here with locked gates, codes, cameras etc. must be protecting the Mona Lisa…popping round with something is a faff.

Not really needed where we live but cameras seem to be the best deterrent.
I used to have the best deterrent a 8st Boxer dog they might have got in but probably wouldn’t get out

Twenty Five years ago we were burgled through the back of the house, it turned out to be a taxi driver who, after collecting us from our home, (we were going to a wedding), phoned his partners and they burgled our home as they had a good idea the house would be empty. They were all caught. We installed black fancy wrought iron gates on all the downstairs back windows and door and they are still there to this day. I have security lights at the side, back and front of the house which come on if anyone is in the garden and a security camera that sits inside my house on the front window ledge so I can see who is at the door and when I am out it is on record so if anything does happen, I can watch the video. I don't have an alarm system because people totally ignore them as they are always going off, even when a spider crawls in front of the cameras in the house it sets them off.

I have locks on all my windows and the up to date locking system on my doors. There is nothing else I can do to ensure my safety but if I had a fall, the ambulance service would have to break down my door with a sledgehammer to get in so I think I am safe from unwanted intruders.

The experts do say that if you were locked out of your house, how would you get in, because if you cannot think of a way to get back into your house then burglars can't either without going to the trouble of kicking your door in or breaking windows which would disturb the street.

I feel extremely safe in my home but if anything happens when I am out, there is nothing else I can do about it so I ensure anything of sentimental value and all passwords are hidden way in a secure location, any other things can be replaced.

By the way, since we found out the burglars were a taxi driver and partners, we noticed more and more just how nosey taxi drivers were, asking how long we had lived in our house, do we have family still living with us, do I live alone, do I work, is my husband at home, even though my husband has died, I always wave to him, the taxi driver always asks me if my husband didn't want to come with me so I tell him, no, he is decorating. I am not saying all taxi drivers are criminals but I honestly do not know why they have to ask such personal questions, one even asked me how much my house was worth.

We were burgled many years ago - they stole DD2’s car. Did the dogs bark?? No, they saved that for the Police Officers when they arrived!
A word of warning - if you’ve declared an alarm system on your insurance policy and don’t use it, a claim could be void.

RunaroundSue I was in the rear of a minicab many years ago going to the airport and the fellow asked me if I lived alone. I do but I said I had a couch potato husband who would be watching TV and then microwaving an easy meal. I also have 2 imaginary sons living at home. There were no more questions.

If I answer the door and somebody is trying to flog eg double glazing I just say "we" are renting although I own the house.

Security lights. That’s all. I have felt very safe, since I moved here. It’s a lovely village. Downside, there’s a pub which attracts a lot of youngsters from far and near. They cause no problems at all. So, no complaints.

I have security lights and cameras, I also have an alarm which I had installed when I bought the house 25 years ago.

I do get concerned, on threads like this, about if the GN site was hacked, people have written what security they have[assuming people write accurately].

I dont know if my concerns are justified or not?

I dont want to alarm anyone[no pun intended]. But I cant write a thread about a thread, and thought if I asked GN, they might just dismiss me.

GN don't have our address, so how would a hacker know where we live?
They would need to do further hacking of our email address provider to try and find it. An awful lot of bother. Would it be worth it?

Or am I missing something?

No, presumably not worth it.

DD has cameras front and back of her terraced house. She and SiL sat on a warm sunny beach and watched in horror as a heron stole the fish from their pond - absolutely nothing they could do from 4000 miles away! At least it meant next door's cat didn't get the blame this time!

Marydoll

GN don't have our address, so how would a hacker know where we live?
They would need to do further hacking of our email address provider to try and find it. An awful lot of bother. Would it be worth it?

Or am I missing something?

Being hacked on-line is something that worries far more than being burgled.
It happened to my friend the other day and she was advised to change her card details.
No point in being worried about burglers if your on-line activities aren't protected.
Far more common and sophisticated that any opportunistic thief.

Charleygirl 5

That is exactly what I say, my husband died 10 years ago but as far as taxi drivers and strangers are concerned I have a husband and two sons living at home with a German Shepherd dog.

I am surprised by how many people, who are going on holidays, paste it on Facebook, Twitter etc. etc. They may as well give a key to their house to the burglars. They even give the dates they are away and when they get back. Then they post photos of themselves with their family. It beggars belief how stupid some people can be.

Madwoman11 Consider locked metal ‘cages’ over all ground floor windows including French windows. They give good security and you soon get used to opening and closing them.

Of course some form of security is wise. However, it is worth considering what you would do and how you would get out of your house in the event of a fire. Smoke is very disorientating and having to unlock outside shutters or screens takes time.