Enhancing Security for Your Garage and Outbuildings: Preventing Unauthorised Access

Your home is your sanctuary, and you don’t want it to be infiltrated by undesirables with nefarious intentions. Many people put in measures to protect their home’s interior, but what about externally? The front and backyard, your garage and outbuildings, such as work sheds and so on?

This article offers useful and practical tips and advice on how to better protect the exterior of your house, to prevent break ins, theft or people lurking in the shadows on your property.

Motion-detector lighting deters intruders

Thieves and vandals often operate at night under the cover of darkness, as there is less chance of being seen by you or your neighbours. Installing motion-detector lights in strategic locations around your property provides a practical solution. If an intruder tries to access your backyard or gets too close to your garage or outbuildings, the sensor on the light detects their movement, and the light blazes to life, scaring them off.

Garden lighting

Having lights in the garden or surrounding your yard also helps to deter intruders. This lighting doesn’t need to be bright. In fact, it can be quite subtle. The idea is to have enough lighting in the yard and garden to penetrate areas of shadow, so there are no dark spots for thieves to hide. If your yard and garden are evenly lit, the chances are a burglar won’t even bother considering targeting your home and will move on. Lighting is an effective break in deterrent.

Install CCTV cameras

By installing CCTV cameras above your garage and in your backyard, it acts as a deterrent just like lighting does. As soon as a thief spots a camera, they’ll be out of there like a shot. If, for some reason, the burglar isn’t put off by the cameras and makes a play for something outside your house, your cameras will have recorded it all, and possibly the suspect may be apprehended and brought to justice. 

Usually, though, just the mere presence of security cameras is enough to scare them away. You can even attach motion sensors to your cameras so they’re not monitoring or recording constantly. Make sure your cameras are positioned high enough to be out of reach.

Protecting sheds and outbuildings

Burglars love to target work sheds and storage sheds because they know these outbuildings often contain tools, mowers and other items they can readily sell. The other advantage for a thief is they don’t need to try and enter your home to get a score.

The first thing you can do to protect your belongings outdoors is to put things like power tools away and lock them up. Not only don’t you want to lose your tools, but some could even be used against you. For example, a hefty screwdriver left in the yard could be used to break open a padlock on your shed.

If you have ladders outside, secure them to a pole with a robust chain and a padlock, or put them inside your garage. Patio furniture can also be secured by chaining each piece to each other. Barbecues are another potential target of thieves, so you might want to consider securing your barbecue. If it’s big and heavy, then there is probably no need.

Install an alarm system

Alarm systems are designed for the interior of the home, and you won’t install one out in the yard. But the mere presence of an alarm system shows intruders that you’re serious about home security and that your place is not a soft target.

How will an intruder even know your house is protected by an alarm if they’re outdoors? Simple, you tell them by placing signs outside around your property, stating that your home is alarm protected and connected to a back-to-base security company. Place signs above your garage and on your front, side and back fences.

Use your garden as a defence

If you put some thought into your garden design, it can actually be used as a deterrent and defence against intruders. For instance, you could ‘build’ a fence using thorny plants, something that is going to be very painful to climb over. Another option is to grow cactus plants in strategic locations near your garage window, for example, or around your patio.

Tall and dense hedges are virtually impenetrable when used as fences, and they look aesthetically pleasing as well when trimmed and pruned. If someone were to try and cut through it, it would be hard work and likely make lots of noise.

Another thing to consider is a tall tree growing near your fence line. An intruder might take advantage of an overhanging branch to climb up the tree and drop down into your backyard.

Install high fences

High fences are very difficult to climb over. You might consider surrounding your entire house with fences or just the backyard. Another advantage of tall fences is that burglars can’t see what’s in your yard, meaning there will be less temptation to gain access to your property.

Additionally, you could install metal spikes or barbed wire along the top of the fence for an added layer of security. With a high fence protected at the top by spikes or barbed wire, an intruder is likely to skip your house and find an easier target.

Always have insurance

While having your home and contents insured doesn’t prevent a burglar from stealing your stuff, it will give you some peace of mind knowing that you’re covered should an intruder infiltrate your personal sanctuary. Some insurance policies may require additional cover for items stored outdoors, so be sure to check this with your policy provider.

Contact a home security service

Let Smart Security Services help you protect both the interior and exterior of your home. Talk to us first for the best advice on the latest security measures you can take. We install home alarm systems, CCTV cameras, wireless security systems, set up smart homes and much more.