Comments on: Foil burglars with… Venetian blinds? What are your top tips

By: Molly

Molly — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 14:46:02 +0000

Don’t want to scare anyone but if you have burglars testing the waters of your house you should be on high alert. I’ve had my house broken into not once but TWICE and all within 6 months. It’s mentally damaging walking into the house and seeing it being turned upside down and having to see it twice really left a mental scar for me. Thankfully we moved and fingers crossed it wont ever happen again. But a few tips from my experience:
-If someone rings the doorbell, ALWAYS answer it. Thats what they do they ring and see if someone is in the house.
-If something is really valuable to you don’t keep it in the house they will look through every single box, drawer, any container possible.
-If your on their radar its most likely they will have their your schedule recored and movements tracked
-Gardai are useless. Once they see no fingerprints can be found because gloves were worn its like they just give up altogether. Getting house insurance is your best bet.
Sorry if this sounded so pessimistic but after having it happen to me twice I found it hard to have hope in the Gardai.

By: Fee

Fee — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:36:22 +0000

@kittykat – I’m the same, we don’t have a car but I never bring my handbag into the bedroom at night, we leave laptops etc out. If someone breaks in I want them to get what they want easily and go. They’re just things. I’m much less concerned about being robbed than attacked.

It’s something that has crossed my mind at the moment though as we are leaving our rented property and the estate agents are starting viewings today while we are out. I feel like burglars must use property viewings to get a look at places for valuables, access etc?

@Elliesausage – I’m so glad I read your comment as was thinking of putting some of my stuff up for sale online; would think twice about allowing them to collect from the gaf now.

By: JoJo

JoJo — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 06:38:01 +0000

I’ve heard some stories of pretty brazen burglars. I’m not sure how true this is, but I heard that a house up the road from us was burgled and the burglars sat down and made themselves a cuppa before turning the place over. They apparently had the household’s schedule down to a tee.

I’m on my own tonight. I live in the middle of nowhere with no valuables in the house. I’m still going Home Alone on their ass though.

By: Aisling_eile

Aisling_eile — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:10:39 +0000

Thankfully my house has never been robbed but I’ve heard some horror stories.

The worst is an extended family members house was broken into but they couldn’t find the car keys and they woke up with a but feller holding a boiling kettle over their face to get the keys.

I really hope if there is a break in that ill sleep through it.stuffs replaceable but someone who’s willing I do that is probably willing to do some bodily damage aswell.

And knowing me I’d think I’m Wonder Woman and attempt to stop them before realise that I’m a weakling an a coward too late!

By: Celine (McMademoiselleLikes...)

Celine (McMademoiselleLikes...) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 08:19:14 +0000

All right, I am now at work terrified that my house will be robbed. Of course I do not have dogs, I only have cats. And to be honest, I don’t think a lazy cat who’s only moving when she wants to be petted and a tiny fluffy kitten will do anything to deter burglars…

By: EllieSausage

EllieSausage — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:52:59 +0000

Had an attempted robbery when i lived abroad a few years ago,- 3am heard people taking outside the house (don’t know how i woke i usually sleep like a log and don’t ever hear my phone ring when askeep).

I woke himself up…and for some insane reason he actually woke up and intead of telling me I was hearing things he actually belived me that there were people outside the house…

We heard then creep around, play about with the back door of the house….

My Other Half made a big racket getting out of bed turning on our bedroom lights, going into hallway turning on lights and poof they were gone like a shot.

In the meantime i had called 999- and was whispering down the phone to the police- was asked to speak up- wtf…. we had intruders in the house… to be fair, local policeman was parked up in the area in less then 5 min and was laying low in the hope he’d find the culprits, within a half hour we had sniffer dogs outside the house trying to track where they had gone.

Its not an experience i’d like to relive- couldn’t sleep properly for a few weeks. Reason for attempted robbery, was basically that we had alot of out belongings for sale on an autcion website as we were moving back to Ireland, we believe they had been at the house earlier that night purchasing a coffee table from us, and came back knowing we still had a tv, dvd player, sat nav, laptop etc in the house as we had them on the website for sale!- obviously all it took was to buy a cheap coffee table from us to find out the location of the house and bingo they then had location of the more expensive items too!

By: PirateAtSea

PirateAtSea — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:45:52 +0000

I have a fantastic male, longhaired German Shepherd (asleep beside me in the kitchen as I type this) and even though he is a dote to any of us who he knows I definately wouldn’t want to cross him!! He is unbelievably strong and when he barks he would wake the dead. He’s more than a match for any male friends or family members who come into the house. He keeps at bay everyone we don’t want to come around. I’ve been considering getting a gun as well. Single barrel shot guns don’t need a cabinet, just a trigger lock. More than one or anything more advanced needs a cabinet. My step-dad works at a shooting range so I could get lessons there anytime. I was always taught there are only 2 things burgulars are afraid of, dogs and guns and if I do decide to go down that road I intend to prove it! I’m still on the fence about the gun but I have plenty of plenty of items around that could be used as wepons if it came to it.

By: kittykat

kittykat — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:25:24 +0000

I always leave my keys in an acccessible place – if they want my car let them find my keys. I don’t want them coming up the stairs to get them !
Also never lock internal doors when going out. Close them by all means, but if burglars do get in while your out and your doors are locked downstairs, the damage they do kicking them in is awful. A garda friend of mine told me this.

By: stephieshoenut

stephieshoenut — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 22:52:49 +0000

I have 4 dogs including 2 Bassett Hounds , they don’t bark they howl like motherf%*”$rs and would wake the dead so nothing gets past my lads Give me peace of mind anyways .

By: Cupcakes

Cupcakes — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 20:41:29 +0000

My house was broken into a few years ago. It was May at 1 in the afternoon. We had 3 dogs at the time right outside the back door, it doesnt stop them, they’ll throw them meat to stop them barking. They got a crow bar and broke in the front door, totally ransacked the place. But thankfully got away with hardly anything. went threw the bed clothes, actually took the sheets off the bed, under the mattress, through the clothes in the drawers, opened every little box where money etc would be hidden, upended the bedside lockers. We think they were frightened away because a neighbour drove into the yard (he didnt see anything tho), they ran out the back door straight into the dogs. We could see the hand print on top of the tele where they were just about to pick it up and run!!

They were caught after crashing up the road, so we got some things back, they were on there way home to Tallaght after “visiting graves” where i live :roll eyes: /:)