Garden Room Security Tips
With winter fast approaching and many of us venturing into our gardens and garden buildings less, your security concerns may be increased. Earlier, darker nights coupled with the fact that garden buildings are by their very nature at a distance to the main house can mean they are more challenging to keep an eye on.
However, garden rooms and offices have advanced leaps and bounds from the ‘posh sheds’ they are often considered to be.
Garden rooms are more secure than you may think.
Structure
Unlike sheds which are constructed using just one thin timber skin, garden rooms and offices are built using a series of layers; this creates a thick and sturdy structure that is far harder to break into than that of a traditional shed.
Windows and doors
The vast majority (about 95%) of the garden rooms and offices sold in the UK use the same doors and windows that you probably have in your main house. These windows are double glazed and fitted with multi-point locking systems. Doors including French and bi-fold will also each have their own locks. These types of locks ensure that the window cannot be opened unless the lock has been disengaged and makes them essentially impossible to open from the outside.
How to further enhance your garden room security:
Alarms
Security alarm systems can be fitted on your garden room or garden office just like those you have on your main property. You can have sensors fitted at critical points in the garden room, such as windows and doors, so you will be notified if the building is broken into.
CCTV
A camera system may not be necessary; however, if your garden room isn’t visible from the house, this might be a great option to increase the security of a garden office or other garden building. As long as the camera only covers your property, you should not have to worry about legal requirements for other CCTV systems. A system like this could be convenient if you are away from your home frequently.
Use a Video Doorbell On Your Main Property
It might not seem like a video doorbell on your main house would enhance security for your garden room. However, a video doorbell will allow you to sit in your garden office and work while keeping an eye on your front door and any deliveries you may get.
Keep Valuables Out of Sight
The large proportion of crime is opportunistic; this means that criminals may not have specifically targeted your property so much as seen something they’d like whilst passing. Keep all valuables out of sight, even locked in safes etc., if appropriate to deter these opportunistic crimes.
Motion Sensor Lighting
An essential part of security is lighting; you may not prevent crime, but you can undoubtedly deter an intruder by drawing attention to them.
You can set motion sensitivity to turn on only for humans and vehicles so that it won’t get set off by the local feline explorer.
Insurance
Don’t forget to update your house insurance when you install a garden room or garden office. Please do not assume that your garden building will be automatically covered with your existing buildings and contents cover. Have a chat with your current insurers or a broker and explore the specialist policies that can be put into place for garden rooms and, specifically, garden offices.
We hope that we have given you some different ways to increase your security for your garden room or office. As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than a cure”
