Don’t be a garden of thieves
waist height and the other at chin height – as, visually, extra locks will encourage burglars to go elsewhere.
Lock up inside too
Even with good locks on the outside, another great tip is to lock the larger items inside your shed to one another using bike locks. I lock my push bike to my lawn mower – and then my lawn mower to my leaf shredder.
Having them all connected makes them much more difficult to steal, even once thieves have made it past your lights and external shed locks.
It’s worth the extra hassle it creates of having to unlock equipment each time you want to use it. Let’s face it, that slight inconvenience is a small price to pay for the added peace of mind of knowing you have one more security measure in place.
Shed alarms
These are well worth checking out, as you can buy battery-operated shed alarms that are very simple to install.
I bought some which go inside the shed and will sound when someone opens the door.
Mine come with a little remote control, allowing you to push a button to arm the system after locking up – and push another to disarm it when you need to get into your shed.
They work in much the same way as locking and unlocking your car using a key fob. You can also get keypad operated ones to save you having to carry a remote around. Simple, easy to use and highly effective.
Additional tips
If you go the whole hog, you can install proper security cameras and keep an eye on your outhouses with an app.
Alternatively, you could put up fake cameras to deter opportunistic burglars – most will not know the difference and will steer clear (although mine are definitely real!).
Be careful not to leave any tools lying around your garden that thieves could use to help them. Spades, forks and ladders should always be properly locked away whenever you’re not using them. And protect your home itself by making sure you have secure windows and doors. Personally, I have Everest windows with a Grablock system to make them extra secure.
Finally, get your hands on a special UV pen and label your equipment with your postcode.
On the off-chance that a thief does manage to steal something from you, the police will be able to identify it as yours should they come across it.
So, learn from my unfortunate experience – protect your garden kit and give yourself full peace of mind when away from home this summer.