How to Keep Your Valuables Safe by Securing Doors, Windows and Garages

Most burglars don’t waste time rummaging through attics. They head straight for your jewellery, laptops, bikes and documents - and they usually get in through a door, window or garage.

The best way to protect your valuables? Stop the intruder before they ever step inside by installing perimeter protection to your home.

Key Facts – Why Perimeter Protection Matters for Valuables

• 76% of domestic burglaries involve forced entry via a door or window (ONS, 2024)

• Jewellery, electronics, and cash are the most stolen items in UK break-ins

• Perimeter security can prevent entry altogether, keeping your valuables untouched
  

What are burglars really after?

They don’t want your furniture - they want items they can grab fast and sell even faster:

• 💷 Cash, wallets and jewellery

• 💻 Laptops, tablets and phones

• 📸 Cameras and high-end electronics

• 📄 Passports and financial documents

• 🚲 Bikes and tools stored in garages or sheds
  

Knowing what burglars target helps you protect it better. These are the items to keep locked up, hidden - or ideally, both.

But how do burglars get in?

According to police data, most burglars enter through:

• Weak or unlocked front, side and back doors

• Ground-floor windows left ajar

• Garages and outbuildings with poor locks

• Older or hidden entry points lacking visible deterrents
  

The solution? Perimeter protection. It’s your first line of defence.

What is perimeter protection & how does it help?

Perimeter protection involves placing smart sensors on key entry points - like doors, windows and garages, in order to detect tampering before entry is gained.

✅ Shock sensors trigger your alarm at the first sign of forced entry

✅ Contact sensors alert you when a door or window is opened

✅ Instant notifications sent straight to your phone via the SecureComm app

✅ CCTV integration lets you see what’s happening in real time

“The sensors on our doors and windows caught someone trying to get in - and the alarm went off before they stepped inside. Our valuables were untouched.”- Vicky, Birmingham

How to secure the spots burglars target

Front and back doors

• Fit BS3621-certified locks (If you're local to Coventry or the Midlands, check out Clement's Locksmiths)

• Add shock sensors that detect prying or impact or door contact sensors

• Keep valuables like handbags or car keys away from the hallway

• Never leave keys on hooks near the door

  
  

Windows

• Lockable handles on all windows

• Shock sensors to detect forced entry

• Don’t leave jewellery or tech near window ledges

• Consider frosted film for windows into offices or bedrooms
  

  Garages and sheds

• Upgrade to a deadbolt or garage defender lock

• Keep valuables like bikes or tools out of sight

• Add sensors to the garage door and internal access point

• Use CCTV for extra visibility and security lights as an additional deterrent

📍 We recently fitted a Warwick garage with shock sensors and a bell box. The customer got an instant app alert when someone tried forcing the door. Nothing taken, nothing lost.

Should I still hide or lock away valuables?

Absolutely. Even with perimeter protection, it pays to be smart:

• Use a home safe for jewellery, documents and spare cash

• Avoid hiding things in bedrooms - that’s the first place burglars look

• Consider clever hideaways (false drawers, hollow books)

• Keep an up-to-date inventory with serial numbers and photos

  
  

West Midlands Police recommend safes be fire-rated and bolted to the floor - don’t just hide them under the bed!

How MAS helps protect your valuables

Midland Alarm Services specialises in custom perimeter protection systems designed to keep burglars out and your belongings safe.

• 🔐 Shock/contact sensors on all vulnerable entry points

• 📱 SecureComm app for instant alerts and image verification

• 📹 Optional CCTV for live and recorded coverage

• 👮 Free consultation with Mick - our former police security expert
  

We don’t do off-the-shelf kits. We build smart security around your home and your needs and we operate all across Coventry, Warwickshire, the West Midlands and Worcestershire.

Want to keep your valuables safe?

Jewellery, laptops, bikes - whatever matters most to you deserves proper protection. It’s not just about locks. It’s about stopping the break-in before it happens.

Book your free security survey in 60 seconds and we’ll help you keep your home, and everything in it, safe.