Burglars think that the bigger the house, the richer the owners. You cant do much about the size of your house, says Professor Pease of Huddersfield University, but if its large, you need to be even more careful than if its small.

You should take a good look at your house not as you normally do, but as a burglar would. If you were a burglar, which home would you choose to rob, - a house with a shiny new car parked outside or one with a rusty vehicle? Anything which signals nice possessions and money will certainly catch the burglars eye.

People may complain about their noisy neighbours, but theres no better way of stopping burglars than having watchful neighbours around. If a house is far away from others, or hidden from the road, it is more attractive to burglars, who think they can get in and out without being noticed. So a burglar alarm is a good idea. And remember, you may get privacy from tall hedge or a high wall- but so does a burglar.

Sean Stephen, who works with the Scottish prison service, believes that youre more at risk if your house looks nice. Window-boxes, nice curtains and beautiful painted walls all tell the burglar that youre proud of your home and care about your possessions and are more likely to have nice things in your house, he says. He advises people to try to make their homes look as plain as possible and not to draw attention to any new things they have bought by leaving the empty boxes next to the dustbin.

People often leave a light on when they go out. But you must be sensitive and not leave light on in the hall as it never makes the burglars believe that youre in. Have you ever heard of family enjoying an evening at home in the hall? Live it in the living room. An open window is also an open invitation to burglars. If you sometimes forget to shut and lock doors and windows, stick a note on the inside of the front door to remind you. And make sure any ladders are put away and not left outside where burglars can use them.

By leaving newspapers and letters sticking out of the letter-box, or full milk bottles on the doorstep, youre giving burglars the green light to break into your home. Similarly, if youre away from the house at regular times- out at work or doing the shopping- then your home is also in danger of being burgled. Ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your house at these times. Its a good idea to take photos of your valuable possessions. By doing that, if youre burgled, youll be able to identify stolen property, which could lead to the thief being put behind bars. It is also possible to label valuable items such as TVs and videos with your postcode. If theyre stolen, this will make them easier to find. One more good idea is to ask for a crime prevention officer to visit your home and identify weak points in its security.