Houses two doors either side of me have both been done in the last year. Feel a bit like there’s a set of crosshairs over mine.

Any alarm system recommendations? How much do you need to spend in order to get something that’ll do the job for an average three bedroom semi?

in my experience, alarms make very little difference these days (been burgled twice when the alarm was set) as people tend to ignore them initially and takes very little time to nick your stuff. just make sure you make your house more difficult to break into than those around you – internal bolts on the doors, double locks on each exterior door, visible window locks, get rid of cheap UPVC exterior doors etc – more worthwhile than an alarm

Put the word out that your next door neighbor has a 10 grand watch?

also maybe a ‘Beware of the Leopard’ sticker on the front door. That’ll scare them off.

A mk1 Fido with big bark. The NED will choose the quieter house.

Not Maplin’s whatever you do.They sell shite fitted by cowboys

Do you have any doors with Euro cylinder locks ?

If so, replace those asap with secure versions (Avocet ABS) as the bog standard versions can be breached in about 20 seconds.

Consider putting up a dummy alarm housing front’back of your house. It’s about making your place less attractive to a burglar than easier options in the vicinity.

Sleep outside in a rocking chair on the veranda with a shotgun?

Reality is that if they want in they’ll get in. Doors and windows are only as good as the glass is . . . Which is easy broken when it comes down to it.

CCTV goes a long way to helping id the persons after the fact. Also don’t leave stuff in view. I’ve seen windows broken to get keys for the door which were lying on the window sill. That’s just daft. So keep stuff out of sight and reach.

Also tea leafs know the usual hiding places, boxes at the bottom of cupboards, if you want it hidden then hide it well.

ADT do a phone alert/recording alarm

Alarms make little to no difference, we were burgled, the alarm was set and was triggered,but they still took 10k worth of stuff,and nobody noticed a thing.

I misread the title of this thread.

Alarms make little to no difference, we were burgled, the alarm was set and was triggered,but they still took 10k worth of stuff,and nobody noticed a thing.

yep, they just piss off all your neighbours when they go off….

To be fair, I’d go and have a look if my neighbours alarm did go off but only if I liked them. Otherwise I’m more likely to get a ladder out and put a 10mm HSS drill through the claxon to shut the thing up.

I have no idea about alarms but I have let myself in a few front doors and the last one I was at had a decent London Bar and Birmingham bar properly fitted. It resisited a good CI5 style kicking by my younger colleagues, the door was starting to disentegrate but the locks weren’t budging, until some one turned up with a big red key and they open most things. I was very impressed with the bars and would fit them if I could at our place.

Alarms make no real difference especially if everyone else on the road has one. Burglars will always go for the easier option unless they are after something specific. Even then with an alarm everyone just ignores it. Your best bet is CCTV and then at least there is evidence the police can use to catch them. The local police usually know who all the local burglars are, they just need the evidence to arrest them. I would get a basic cheap alarm and then CCTV.

If you speak to an alarm person they always get you to buy internal sensors and not necessarily external ones or shock sensors. Once someone has broken in they normally cause so much damage that you have to claim on your insurance anyway and your premiums will be going up, so you really need to stop them even trying to break in.