Many householders are happy to install burglar alarms, often linked in to a CCTV system, but, as well as protecting your house from the inside, it is equally important to consider securing the perimeter of your property.  Intruders and thieves are on the lookout for houses from where they can make a quick getaway and secure fencing and bolted and locked gates are an added deterrent.  If you have visions of a line of barbed wire tacked to the top of your fence or some kind of galvanised steel spiked posts, similar to those of the local primary school down the road, then you need to think again.

Today it’s possible to install fencing and gates which are both strong and attractive.  Vertical railings are particularly pleasing to the eye and are available in a number of different colours and finishes.  However, if you prefer your property to have more privacy, then you may want to consider wooden fencing panels.  Timber tongue and groove fencing, combined with heavy duty timber posts is a good option.  Make sure you install panels where the tongue and groove is arranged vertically as opposed to horizontally, making the fence more difficult for an intruder to climb over.

However, it is pointless to create an impregnable fortress around your home if you have your wheelie bins lined up near your gates, so move them away where they can’t be used to help scale high fencing.  Planting prickly and thorny bushes, like hawthorn or holly, alongside your perimeter fence is also likely to deter any would-be thieves.