As a rule the more expensive a property appears the higher the security level needs to be. As a house’s desirability increases, so does the temptation for the burglar and the risk they are willing to take. In response the security should follow accordingly, always maintaining a level where the burglar thinks it’s not worth the risk.

Just as telltale signs of riches attract burglars to a property, telltale signs of good security repel them. Thus at the same time as the householder is at pains not to show off their assets, they should be flashing their security for everybody to see.

Half the value of security is its power as a deterrent. This is why someone might put up an empty burglar alarm box, or hang ‘beware of the dog’ sign, despite only having a Golden Retriever puppy. When investing in security it is therefore important to make sure the window locks, the lights, the burglar alarm bell box, all make their presence known. Householders that are part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme should advertise the fact with stickers placed in the windows facing the road.

Even if the idea of security is to firstly deter a break-in attempt, there is no excuse for not backing it up with a solid defence. Besides, empty burglar alarms are easily recognised by burglars, and a telltale sign of lax security.

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An increase in the standards of home security has also had an effect in the burglary rate fall. Houses still contain desirable items for the thief but the skill and risk now required to get at them is often not worth the trouble. A thief would be much better off mugging somebody in the street for his or her iPod or mobile phone. This might help explain that while burglaries have fallen, muggings have been on the steady increase during the last decade.

The houses with decent security might be being targeted less by thieves, but the opportunist burglar is still on the look out for those that aren’t sufficiently protected. Even today, houses with simple security measures such as locks on windows and deadlocks on doors are ten times less likely to be burgled than those without any.

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