How Burglars Enter Homes - Safeguard the Most Common Entry Points

Most burglars are not criminal masterminds. They are opportunists working to a simple plan: get in fast, take the most valuable items and get out again before anyone notices.

Research from the University of Portsmouth, based on burglars' own accounts of how they choose and enter homes, backs this up. It also tells us exactly where you should focus your defences.

Here, we cover how burglars enter homes and the entry points you need to defend - front door, ground floor windows, back door and garage - backed by that research and by police.uk crime prevention guidance, not guesswork. For more on how burglars size up a target, see our piece on how burglars choose a house to break into, or this convicted burglar's own advice on securing your home.

How burglars really pick a target

Burglars assess a property in seconds. As one burglar put it in the Portsmouth research: "You look at what people live in, what people are driving, and you can work out what they may own."

Once inside, they move fast. The research found burglars spent about nine minutes inside on average, with nearly half that time on the first floor - heading straight for the main bedroom and ignoring bathrooms and children's rooms, going after portable, high-value items like jewellery, laptops, tablets and wallets. They were twice as likely to find the three highest-value items in the house compared with less experienced offenders.

Throughout, they listen for any sound that suggests someone is coming home. Burglars go out of their way to avoid meeting a homeowner face to face - which is exactly why visible, working security matters so much at every entry point.

The front door

Your front door is the first thing a burglar reads. A door that looks solid and well-secured makes them think twice.

• Double-lock it every time you leave. Police guidance is blunt: simply shutting a uPVC or multi-locking door isn't enough. Lift the handle, turn the key and remove it - "lift, lock, remove" - every time.
• Choose the right lock. If you're upgrading, a 3-star rated euro cylinder lock meeting the TS007 standard resists the three most common attacks: snapping, drilling and bumping.
• Fit a letterbox guard. Police advice on door security recommends this to stop anyone fishing for keys through the letterbox. Never leave keys near a door or window where they can be seen or reached.
• Add a spyhole and security chain, and consider a door bar for extra reinforcement on an older door.
• Keep valuables out of sight of any glass panel, and never leave a spare key somewhere predictable like under the mat.

If you're weighing up a full lock upgrade, our uPVC door security tips guide goes into more detail.

Ground floor and windows

Windows can offer easier access than doors, particularly at ground-floor level or anywhere within reach of a wall, bin or garden furniture.

• Laminated glass or security film is recommended for ground-floor and other accessible windows, with sash stops on sash windows and key-operated locks on any window that opens outward.
• Opening restrictors let you ventilate a room while keeping the window secure - just check they can't be picked open from outside.
• Window vibration alarms are a cheap extra layer on ground-floor windows or those hidden from view.
• Clear the route to upper windows. Burglars have been known to use ladders, found in the garden or brought with them, to reach upper windows that appear unlocked - specifically to avoid alarm sensors on the ground floor. Move ladders and garden furniture away from the house, fit locks upstairs too and extend any alarm sensor coverage to upper rooms.
• Shut your curtains and blinds when you're out, so there's no easy view of what's worth taking.

The back door and garden approach

The back door deserves just as much attention as the front. According to the Portsmouth research, experienced burglars favoured entering via the back door, often approaching through alleyways specifically to avoid being seen from the street.

• Lock the back door and store the key out of sight, just as you would at the front.
• Get your boundaries right. Police guidance recommends lower fences (around one metre) at the front for a clear view, with taller fencing, anti-climb toppings or thorny planting at the rear and sides, plus a gravel driveway or path so you'll hear anyone approaching.
• Fit security lighting. A clear, low-white light activating from dusk to dawn is recommended at doors - a genuine deterrent that's also safer for you coming and going after dark.
• Cover key entrances with CCTV. Police guidance is clear that CCTV doesn't prevent a break-in on its own and is no substitute for secure doors and windows, but it's a valuable addition when positioned well and backed by signage. Our home CCTV systems are installed to that standard, as NSI Gold and SSAIB-registered specialists.

The garage

A garage is often overlooked, but it's frequently full of tools that could be used to force entry elsewhere - so it deserves the same discipline as the rest of the house.

• Lock the garage door every time, along with any internal door leading into the house.
• Check regularly that the garage door - electric or manual - closes and locks properly, so there's no gap for a burglar to prise open.

A layered defence: alarms, CCTV and professional monitoring

No single measure works in isolation. Police guidance recommends an accredited alarm with two visible, audible alarm boxes mounted high at the front and rear, where they're harder to tamper with. There are three broad types: monitored (checked by an alarm company or keyholder when triggered), unmonitored (a loud siren relying on someone nearby noticing) and auto-dialler (alerting pre-set keyholders directly). Police typically only respond to a monitored alarm installed by a police-compliant monitoring company holding a Unique Reference Number, so the installer you choose matters.

As NSI Gold and SSAIB-registered specialists, we design, install and monitor home alarm systems and CCTV to that standard. Big enough to cope, small enough to care - the same engineer who surveys your home is the one who fits your system.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common way burglars get into a home?

University of Portsmouth research found experienced burglars favoured the back door, often approaching through alleyways to avoid being seen. Securing every entry point is still the safest approach, since a determined burglar will simply try the next weakest one.

How long do burglars typically spend inside a house?

The same research found burglars spent about nine minutes inside on average, heading straight for the main bedroom. That's not much time to get past good locks, a monitored alarm and clear sightlines.

Do window locks and door locks really make a difference?

Yes. Police guidance recommends 3-star rated euro cylinder locks meeting the TS007 standard on doors, plus laminated glass, sash stops or key-operated locks on ground-floor windows. Your home is only as secure as its weakest point of entry.

Will a burglar alarm alone stop a break-in?

A visible, well-maintained alarm is a strong deterrent, but police guidance is clear that no single measure works alone - it's most effective alongside secure doors, windows, good lighting and CCTV. As NSI Gold and SSAIB-registered installers, we design and monitor systems that combine all of these.

Do I need CCTV as well as an alarm?

CCTV can't prevent a break-in on its own and is no substitute for secure doors and windows, but police guidance recognises it as a valuable addition when positioned well and backed by signage. We install and monitor CCTV as NSI Gold and SSAIB-registered specialists.

Want a professional view on where your own home is exposed? Book a free home security survey, or explore our home alarm systems and home CCTV systems pages to see how we can help.

Last reviewed: September 2026