There is possibly nothing worse in the world than returning home to find that you have been burgled. A stranger has been in your home, helped him or herself to any of your possessions that took their fancy and disappeared off into the night.

Or more likely, into the day.

Pinching during the daytime

Yes, the majority of burglaries happen during the day, when your local burglar is certain you're at work. Remember, lightning can strike twice if your house is seen as an easy target.

Let’s face it, is he likely to attempt to break in during the evening when you have the lights and the TV on?

No, your home is most vulnerable during the daytime. You are at work. The kids are at school. Mum may well be out shopping. What better time could a burglar choose?

You may not know the statistics, but the fact is that the average domestic burglary takes no more than eight minutes. This means that if you are at work and the kids are at school, the thief only has to wait until Mum gets in the car to drive to Tesco’s, and he can be in and out before she even gets there.

8 minutes to steal, the countdown begins…

During that eight minutes, a burglar can ruin your home! Not only does he ransack your house, he does it in a certain order. He will start by going to the places where it is most likely that you have money and jewellery stored. That is not the kitchen, it is the master bedroom. Drawers will simply be ripped out and overturned on to the floor. Your average burglar is only interested in grabbing what is available as fast as possible.

Certainly, he knows that the house is empty but he still doesn't want to take any risks. The faster he is in and out with your valuables, the less chance there is of him getting caught.

He might just take a quick look in the kids’ bedroom, to see if there is a PlayStation or Xbox.

So then where next?

It’s on to your living room, which is where you may have paintings, valuable ornaments, family heirlooms, china, glassware and more.

The burglar may go into your garage or workshop if you have one, where it is very possible that you have a selection of tools that will fetch some money from the local second hand shop.

Too close to home

Remember that all this takes less than eight minutes!

By the time Mum gets back from Tesco’s, your home has been invaded and the burglar is - long gone.

What good is insurance when the irreplaceable photograph of your grandmother in the glorious gilt frame has gone? We live in dangerous times. Your home is vulnerable. It is no longer the fortress that you once thought it was.

It may sound as though we are preaching from the University of Very Obvious, but you need to protect your home using every measure that you can. A burglar alarm system is a great start, and can be backed up by security lighting, and CCTV.

(Click here for the Ultimate Domestic CCTV Guide.)

Your average burglar wants an easy life and will attack only soft targets. If your home is bristling with security, he will choose somewhere else.

Concerned about the security of your property? We can help

We have spent the last 30 years protecting homes with the latest in security technology. For a FREE site survey, please get in touch with our Kent or London team today.