· 7 min read
Secured by Design Explained: What It Means for Your Home's Locks and Doors
Secured by Design is the UK police security initiative. Here is what it covers, which products carry the mark, and whether it matters for your home.
Guide topic
Home Security and Burglary Prevention
Where homes are actually entered, which upgrades address which entry point, and how to judge advice that sounds convincing.
7 guides in this topic · reviewed
What this topic covers
Home security advice online has a recognisable failure pattern: a confident list of tips with no source, no order of priority and no acknowledgement that houses differ. These guides are written the other way round. Where a claim comes from published police guidance, Secured by Design material or a British Standard, the source is named and linked. Where it does not, it is written as a judgement rather than a fact.
The practical thread running through the topic is that entry points fail in different ways. A front door usually fails at the lock or the frame. A window usually fails at the handle or the glazing bead. A patio door usually fails at the track or the multipoint gearbox. An outbuilding usually fails because it was never secured at all. Grouping upgrades by entry point tends to produce better decisions than grouping them by product.
Cost matters too, and it is rarely the thing people expect. The cheapest meaningful improvement on many homes is not a new lock; it is repairing the door that no longer closes squarely, so the lock that is already there can engage properly.
Where these guides stop
Nothing here predicts risk for an individual address. Published patterns describe what has happened across large numbers of properties; they cannot tell you what will happen at yours, and no upgrade removes risk entirely.
Start here
Home Security Checklist for 2026
It works through a property in the order an assessment would, so you can see which of the other guides in this topic apply to your home before reading them.
All 7 guides on home security & burglary prevention
Practical home-security guidance using cited police, standards and public-information sources.
· 7 min read
Garage and Shed Security: Practical Checks
Apply official outbuilding guidance to doors, windows, fixings, stored tools and any connecting entrance without promising that one measure removes risk.
· 7 min read
Patio and French Door Security Checks and Upgrades
Review the exact patio or French door, frame, locking points and compatible reinforcement options rather than assuming one product suits every opening.
· 7 min read
Window Security: What to Check
Use official guidance to review accessible windows, their locks, frames and opening restrictions before selecting a compatible upgrade.
· 8 min read
Do Burglar Alarms and CCTV Actually Deter Burglars? What the Evidence Says
Everyone says "get an alarm" or "fit CCTV" — but does the evidence actually support it? Here is what research and crime data tell us about what deters burglars.
· 9 min read
Home Security Checklist for 2026
Use a room-by-room checklist to record doors, windows, locks, lighting, alarms and everyday security habits for property-specific follow-up.
· 10 min read
UK Home Entry Risks and Burglary Prevention
Official burglary guidance highlights open, unlocked, or easy-to-force doors and windows. Learn how to assess access points and use layered, evidence-based security.
When reading is not the answer
These guides explain the decision. If you already know what you need doing, the service pages below carry the published starting price, the scope each price assumes and the checks made before any work begins.
Lock UpgradeUpgrade your home security with British Standard BS3621 mortice locks, anti-snap cylinders, and independently certified options matched to the door and any written policy requirement.From £59 →Boarding Up & Burglary Repairs24/7 temporary boarding and burglary-related lock assessment for damaged doors, locks or windows across listed Coventry-area locations.From £79 →
Not sure which applies? The frequently asked questions cover scope, pricing and timing, and the full price list shows what each starting price includes.
Home Security — common questions
Click any question to see the answer
What is the single most useful home security upgrade?
There is no single answer that holds for every property. On homes where the door no longer closes cleanly, repairing the door and its alignment usually does more than any new lock. On homes with a sound door and an older cylinder, an independently certified cylinder is usually the better first step.
Do alarms and cameras actually deter burglars?
Published research and police guidance treat visible security measures as one factor among several rather than as a guarantee. The guides in this topic set out what the available sources do and do not establish, so you can weigh the spend honestly.
Are ground-floor windows worth upgrading?
Often yes, because window handles and locking points are a common weak point on older uPVC units. The relevant checks are whether the handle locks the mechanism, whether the keep engages, and whether the glazing is internally beaded.
Other guide topics
Lock Types and Security RatingsWhat the markings on a lock mean, which standards apply to which lock, and what still has to be measured at the door.Understanding Locksmith Quotes and ChargesWhat a published starting price does and does not cover, and which questions make two quotes genuinely comparable.uPVC Door LocksHow multipoint doors fail, how to tell a repair from a replacement, and what to measure before anything is ordered.Locksmith EmergenciesWhat to do first when you are locked out, a key has snapped, keys are lost, or a door has been forced.Legal and Insurance RequirementsWhat a policy actually requires, how the lock standards differ, and where landlords and tenants stand on changing a lock.Seasonal Security GuidesThe security jobs that are worth doing at a particular time of year, and the failures that only show up in certain weather.Coventry and Warwickshire GuidesGuidance written around the housing stock, door types and local sources that actually apply across the Coventry area.
Or browse every locksmith guide in one list.
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