The vast majority of houses in the UK are at additional risk from burglary simply because they have a letterbox in their front door. This is because letterboxes can provide a very easy and effective entrance method for burglars who have tools which can be pushed through the flap and used to either unlock the door from the inside or reach through to retrieve keys from nearby hooks.
To help combat this we have thought of some tips:
1: Install a letterbox with brush interiors which conceal any visibility through the flap. As well as acting as a draft extractor, having a letterbox with brushes which post is then pushed through can act as a great blocking mechanism to prying eyes trying to see through into your house.
2: A letter cage/box. To help combat any use of tools that may be pushed through the letter box to aid burglars, installing a letter cage or box on the inside of your door can help immensely. Tools will struggle to reach into your home with one of these in place, and they catch your mail before it hits the ground, which can also help protect fragile letters.
3: Keep keys out of sight. Often burglars will use letterboxes and tools to reach into the house to retrieve keys they can see nearby, perhaps on a hook or a side table. These may be house keys, which they will then use to gain entry, or alternatively car keys have been known to be taken, used to then steal your car without any trace of an entry into your home. To stop this from happening in your home, why not move your keys away from the door and out of sight, perhaps into the kitchen or a decorative box.
4: Remove your letterbox altogether. Some people have found it extremely beneficial to remove their letterboxes from their doors and instead install a stand alone exterior box accessible via key. These boxes can be put either beside your front door, or if you have a large front garden, by your front gate. This will help with home security as it will mean less people will be entering your garden. It also means that the possibility of letterbox burglary can be completely eradicated as your front door will have no potential window into your home.
Bonus photo: Stand alone letterboxes can be a great addition to your garden, with many eye-catching designs available. Check out this Manatee letterbox!
