How to Keep Your House, Garden and Outbuildings Secure

Home security is not a single product or a one-off decision. It is a layered approach covering your front door, back entrance, ground-floor windows, garden boundaries and any outbuildings on your property. This guide is for homeowners and tenants across South London who want to move beyond the basics and take practical steps to reduce their vulnerability to break-ins. Most residential break-ins are completed in under three minutes, according to Home Office research. The aim is not to build a fortress but to make your property take longer to enter than the one next door.

Strengthening Your Entry Doors

Your front door, back door and any side entrance should each be treated as a priority in that order of likely attack risk.

Locks and Cylinders

The most important fitting on any external door is a lock meeting British Standard BS3621. This standard specifies resistance against picking, drilling, sawing and manipulation. Many home insurance policies require BS3621 certification as a condition of cover — a claim following a break-in can be refused if the standard is not met.

For timber front doors, a five-lever mortice deadlock is the standard recommendation. For composite or uPVC doors using a euro cylinder, replacing any standard cylinder with an anti-snap, anti-pick variant is the priority. Cylinder snapping is the most common forced-entry method across South London. A quality upgrade such as the Ultion or Yale Platinum cylinder costs between £30 and £55 and defeats this attack entirely. Our emergency locksmith service covers the whole of South London for assessments and fitting.

Door Frames and Hinge Security

A high-quality lock only performs well if the frame supporting it is equally sound. Check for movement when you press firmly against your front door from outside. Hinge bolts are worth fitting to any external door that opens outward with exposed hinges — they prevent the hinge side from being levered away. A pair costs around £15 and takes under an hour to fit.

Securing Windows and Glazed Areas

Ground-floor windows and any windows accessible from a flat roof are a frequent point of entry. Key-operated window locks can be fitted to casement windows, sash windows and most skylights for very little cost.

Sash window stops, which prevent the lower sash from being raised more than a few centimetres, cost around £5 to £8 each. Standard sash locks can be defeated from outside by pushing a thin blade between the sashes. For rear conservatories and glazed extensions, check the multi-point locking on the uPVC frames — many are fitted with the minimum specification at construction and can be upgraded for under £100.

Garden Boundaries, Gates and Lighting

Side passages are a particular risk: they offer a concealed route from the street to the back garden, away from neighbours' view, and feature in a significant proportion of rear-entry burglaries. Fit a close-shackle padlock rated to at least security level 3 on any side or rear gate. Close-shackle padlocks have minimal exposed shackle, making them far harder to cut than standard open-shackle padlocks of the same diameter.

Combine this with a passive infrared security light at the side passage entrance. Well-lit access points deter opportunistic intruders who depend on not being seen. The Metropolitan Police crime prevention pages provide recommendations tailored to London residents.

Outbuildings, Sheds and Garages

Outbuildings are targeted regularly, often without the homeowner noticing for days. Bicycles, power tools and ladders are among the most frequently stolen items — and a ladder stored in an unlocked outbuilding can reach first-floor windows on the main property.

Fit a welded steel hasp and staple rated to BS EN 12320 on any shed or outbuilding door, combined with a close-shackle padlock of at least 50mm body width. Avoid lightweight aluminium hasps sold alongside basic padlocks: these can be torn from a wooden frame in seconds regardless of the padlock. For garages, consider a garage defender mounted to the floor — these cost between £50 and £90 and prevent the door from being lifted or forced.

Your Home Security Checklist

• All external doors have locks certified to British Standard BS3621
• Euro cylinders have been replaced with anti-snap, anti-pick alternatives
• Door frames are solid and well-fixed — no movement when pushed from outside
• Hinge bolts fitted to any outward-opening external door with exposed hinges
• All ground-floor and accessible windows have key-operated locks or window stops
• Side passage gate secured with a close-shackle padlock, security level 3 or above
• Motion-activated lighting at rear and side access points
• Shed or outbuilding fitted with a steel hasp and close-shackle padlock to BS EN 12320
• Garage door has a defender or secondary lock fitted
• Internal garage-to-house door locked with a deadlock at all times

Getting a Professional Security Assessment

If you are unsure about the condition of your current locks or whether your property has obvious weak points, a professional locksmith survey gives you specific, practical answers. A trained locksmith can walk the perimeter of your property, identify vulnerabilities in plain terms, and advise on what needs replacing versus what needs upgrading. If you have recently moved in, changing the locks is one of the first steps worth taking — a full external lock change typically costs between £80 and £180 depending on the number of doors and the specification selected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does having a BS3621 lock affect my home insurance cover?

Many insurers require BS3621-certified locks on external doors as a condition of cover. If your locks do not meet this standard, a claim following a break-in may be reduced or rejected. Check your policy wording and call your insurer if you have any doubt about what is specified.

How much does it cost to replace a euro cylinder with an anti-snap version?

A quality anti-snap, anti-pick euro cylinder such as the Ultion or Yale Platinum typically costs £30 to £55 for the cylinder itself. A locksmith fitting charge adds £40 to £70, bringing the total to around £70 to £125 for a standard front door.

Should I change the locks when I move into a new property?

Yes, where possible. You have no way of knowing how many copies of the existing keys are in circulation from previous occupants, estate agents or contractors. The cost is modest and the risk of not doing so is real. If you are renting, seek your landlord's permission first — most agree readily.

What is a close-shackle padlock and why does it matter for garden security?

A close-shackle padlock has a very short exposed shackle, leaving minimal metal for bolt cutters or a crowbar to grip. This makes it substantially harder to defeat than a standard open-shackle padlock of the same size, making it the correct choice for gate and outbuilding applications.