Most people's greatest investment is their home, for this reason, securing your house is of the greatest importance - see locksmith in Southend. Keeping your home, family and assets safe ought to be your top priority and added security measures can help. Most burglars aren't geniuses, but opportunists. By understanding what a burglar searches for when choosing a house to break-into, you can reduce the chance of your home being burgled. Investigate 5 things a thief searches for, below:

1) Burglars want a little assurance that the house is worth breaking-into. Costly and small items are the items that burglars seek most. Items such as jewellery, money, laptops, digital cameras and mobile phones are on the top of the list.

Solution: If you have items such as this in your home, it is vital that they remain concealed. However, if a burglar gets into your home, they are likely to locate your goods whether hidden or not. For this reason, investing time and money into preventing entry into your property is a more beneficial way to spend your time.

2) Burglars don't want to attract unwanted attention through noise. The more noise that occurs during a break-in, the more likely a neighbour or passer by will intervene.

Solution: Purchase and install a motion sensor alarm - see locksmiths Chelmsford. These in many cases don't require wiring and are battery operated. With an ultra-loud alarm, of usually 130 dB or higher, an intruder is likely to stop in his or her tracks.

3) Burglars want to discreetly break-into a home. If a burglar knows they are on full view, they are less likely to attempt a break-in. Shrubbery around a front or back entrance can enable a burglar to gain a more discreet entrance, so it may be worth considering whether your plants are worth the risk.

Solution: Remove shrubbery if it conceals entry to your home, and install exterior lighting to ensure that even at night your burglar can be seen detected. Installing motion detector lighting will emit bright light, which will increase the visibility of a break-in and the burglar/s involved. A motion detector does not necessarily cost a lot and can heighten the security of your home significantly - see Locksmith Essex.

4) Burglars will pay attention to warning signs. For instance, a "Beware of the Dog" sign on the garden fence could work as a effective deterrent.

Solution: Not only can signs such as 'Beware of the Dog' work effectively, but alarm warning security stickers can work just as effectively. Whether you are the owner of an alarm or not, stickers are cheap and easy to apply to your windows, so well worth the effect. A burglar may well sense that you are bluffing in regards to the alarm, but few burglars will want to find out the hard way.

5) Burglars (most of them) will avoid confronting a home owner. For this reason, ensuring your home looks occupied, even when it isn't will enable you to deter burglars all day long.

Solution: Leaving a light or radio on may help, just as installing timers for lighting, or even your tv, may enable outsiders to believe that someone is home. What's more, if you plan to go away on holiday and leave your home unoccupied, it is worth asking a friend to collect mail on your behalf. Piles of mail can be a strong inclination to a potential burglar that the premises is vacant.