Burglars. What are the best ways to keep you out of our houses? If you're in a very

studenty area of UK cities, when you order a taxi, get it from a slightly different address,

like a block of flats with lots of lights on, or a house you know has no one living in it,

and be waiting outside, or better yet, get it from outside a supermarket or pub. In my city,

certain cab drivers are in cahoots with burglars and let them know when a house

is empty for most of the night, because the students are out clubbing, even if they leave

a light on or something.

I live in Liverpool for everyone asking, which has a lot of break-ins on every road in the

student area.

And get your frickin' stuff insured.

Landlord insurance generally covers the building,

but not your possessions. Get an alarm system and use the stickers and signs saying that you have one.

I'm more likely to skip a house with an alarm system. Don't make it easy for me. Lock your doors,

close your windows, and most importantly, lock them. 95% of the houses I've been in, I just

walked through the door or climbed through an open window. Don't leave tools laying around that's

going to make my job easier. Ladders, sores, drills, sledgehammers, putty knives. All of these

make it easier for me to get into your house. Contrary to popular belief, most dogs aren't a problem. Unless they've been

trained to be dog guards, it doesn't take much to make one friendly. And don't advertise. If you just

bought an expensive piece of electronic equipment or jewelry or tools, don't brag about it in public,

don't leave the trash in sight and don't post about it on Facebook. Use security hedges under your windows. If your house

has rose bushes and your neighbours don't, I'm more likely to try their house first. If it's irreplaceable,

don't leave it out in the open. Get a safe for stuff like that and make sure you bolt it down. I'll

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