How do I stop things being stolen from my garden and shed?

Sheds are targeted because they contain valuable, portable, unmarked items and are usually out of sight. The structure is weak by nature, so security comes from the fixings, anchoring and visibility rather than from the shed itself.

What you'll need

• Coach bolts or security screws
• Hasp and padlock
• Ground anchor (optional)
• Gate lock (optional)

Step by step

1. Check how the hinges and hasp are fixed.Ordinary screws can be undone from outside in seconds. Replace with coach bolts through the door with nuts inside, or security screws.
2. Fit a proper hasp and closed-shackle padlock.A closed shackle resists bolt croppers. The hasp should cover its own fixings when closed.
3. Lock the side gate.It is what gives access to the back of the property, where thieves work unobserved. A lock on the gate is one of the highest-value measures available.
4. Anchor valuable items inside.Bikes, mowers, power tools chained to a ground anchor or a wall anchor. Items that cannot be carried away quickly are far less attractive.
5. Obscure the contents.Frosted film or a curtain over shed windows. Nobody breaks into a shed without knowing it is worth it.
6. Improve visibility and lighting.Cut back cover near the shed and fit a motion-activated light. Being visible from a window is a significant deterrent.
7. Mark and record your equipment.Photographs, serial numbers, and property marking. It helps recovery and makes stolen items harder to sell.
8. Check your insurance covers outbuildings.Many policies cap cover for sheds and garages at a low figure. Do not store anything genuinely valuable without checking.

Tips

• A cheap alarm on the shed door is a real deterrent — noise draws attention, which is exactly what a thief working out of sight is avoiding.
• Gravel paths make a distinctive noise underfoot. It sounds trivial and it is a genuinely effective and cheap deterrent.
• Bicycles are the most commonly stolen shed item. A good lock and a ground anchor is worth more than shed security generally.

Common mistakes

• Relying on the hasp screws that came with the shed — They unscrew from outside in seconds. Coach bolts through the door with nuts on the inside cannot be removed that way.
• Leaving the side gate unlocked — It gives unobserved access to the back of the property, which is where both shed and house break-ins usually start.
• Storing valuables in an outbuilding without checking insurance — Many policies cap outbuilding cover at a low amount, so a theft may be largely uninsured.

Questions people ask