Seven most common reasons a home is burgled

Between 2023 and 2024 there were 81,019 reported robberies in England and Wales alone, up by almost 6,000 on the previous year. A burglary is a lot of people's worst nightmare, the thought of an unwelcome intruder being in their home gives them shudders.

This shouldn’t happen, but unfortunately, it does. So the best thing you can do is be prepared and understand the reasons why a burglar could target your home, and at what time. Your property could be targeted for a range of reasons so it’s crucial that you are aware of what they are. 

So our experts at Household Quotes are trying to help you by revealing seven of the most common reasons why a home is burgled.

Many people across the country have a habit of leaving their front or back door unlocked. This might be fine and well when you have a clear view of the door, but our advice is to keep them locked at all times. When the doors are out of sight when you either go to the toilet or a different room, a burglar could strike. Open windows are another common target for burglars, they’ll even climb up to upper floors to gain access to your home. Don’t leave them open for too long and make sure they are all closed and secured before you go out.

Burglars want to enter homes without the risk of being confronted, so people who are away are particularly vulnerable. Chancers will drive around and look for homes that look unoccupied, there might be no lights, no movement or no vehicles in the drive. Make sure to ask family members, friends or trusted neighbours to do regular checks of your home, and potentially turn on different lights to make it look like someone is home.

Nighttime is the most popular choice for burglars, this is because the household will most likely be asleep, and it’s easier to hide from nearby witnesses. They’ll often go door to door checking for ones that are unlocked, or they will smash a window, put their hand through and open the door from the inside. Good deterrents include automatic lights which turn on when movement occurs. Security cameras are also beneficial, a thief will think twice before entering a home after seeing one.

Instead of taking the risk of entering a property, there’s been a huge rise in car and van thefts. Vans tend to be the most vulnerable as they are sought after for tools, which are easily resold for big money. They will break into vehicles and steal any valuables that they see, and this is often at night, in unlit areas making it hard for there to be any witnesses. Ways to avoid this include having a good car alarm system, which is loud when activated, as well as a dash cam which could record the perpetrators.

As tempting as it may seem, avoid posting pictures of you being away from your home, or of your valuables on social media. Thieves might use this to target your home, as they will either know you won’t be there, or that there is something inside worth stealing. Wait till you return home to post on social media.

Burglars often return to the same area after they commit a robbery, this is because they’ve spotted a home during their last offence, or they know it’s a place where they’re unlikely to get caught. So even if you're burgled once, don’t think that they won’t strike again. Upgrade your property’s security, and make sure your home is safe.

Isolated properties are ideal for burglars, this is because there are no nearby witnesses who could spot them. Also, if it’s rural then chances are it’s going to take some time before the police arrive if they’re called, making for an easy getaway. So if your property is isolated then focus now on increasing the security around your property. This could be by installing gates, security cameras or alarms, all of which might be enough to deter thieves.

‘’Our homes are our safe space, and if someone invades that it can be very traumatising. However, there are many opportunists out there who are looking to make quick money committing robberies.

Follow the tips I’ve provided and you might be able to prevent your property from being burgled. Even if it’s doing something as simple as not posting where you currently are on social media.’’