It’s important to think about your outdoor spaces as well as the indoor ones; they are the first part of your property which a potential criminal will come into contact with, so it’s worth paying attention to their aesthetic and security. How they first see the property may affect whether they see it as a target or not, so try to look for any areas which might create temptation for a potential thief.
Firstly, you should again try and increase your visibility, using cameras and removing cover such as bushes, trees, and any debris or large objects if possible. It’s worth keeping your outdoor space tidy, as it shows the property is regularly maintained and cared for, which suggests it has attention on it.
You should be particularly careful to remove any graffiti; graffiti in itself is a signal that unauthorised people can come up to your property and hang around as they please, which is not the message you want to send. Make sure any green spaces are kept well-weeded and grass neatly trimmed. Fix anything broken, and make the entryway a clear path, to discourage anyone from walking around the building looking for weak spots under the guise of being ‘lost.’
You should also ensure that outdoor spaces are as secure as possible, putting up fencing or walls where necessary, ascertaining that gates are in good condition and locked at night. Installing lighting, particularly motion-sensitive, is another way to deter potential criminals, as lights suddenly coming on will attract attention.
There are many things you can do to keep your property safe, and most of them are simple, reasonably inexpensive, effective measures which will help to ensure thieves don’t feel too tempted. Look for obvious weak points in your property, try to envisage how you would break in if you wanted to, and then attempt to address these issues however you can. Remember that if you do have a burglary, you need to look at how the thieves entered and what may have made you a target, and take the necessary steps to prevent it from happening again.