Burglars frequently break into properties via their front or back doors. As such, it's important to keep these entrances as secure as possible. Here are two ways to do this:

Invest in better door handles

The standard handles found on most exterior doors tend to be quite flimsy; they are often made from weak materials which make them easy to snap off, and often come with weakly integrated locks that almost any experienced burglar can easily dismantle.

Given this, if you're concerned about the possibility of somebody breaking into your home, it might be wise to replace your existing exterior door handles with ones made specifically to deter burglars. There are a huge variety of door handle designs that can make it difficult, if next to impossible, for a thief to gain entry to your home through its front or back doors.

Look for ones made from an extremely strong material; alloys (such as steel for example) are an excellent choice. This will reduce the likelihood of a burglar gaining entry to your property by using their physical strength to break off the handle.

The door handle designs you choose should also include features such as a cylinder guard, to prevent a burglar from snapping the lock's internal cylinder.

Add an additional deadbolt lock

The lock that is integrated into your door handle should help to drastically reduce the chances of somebody being able to get into your home via the door. However, a particularly skilled burglar with the right tools could, in theory, still gain entry. As such, it might also be worth having additional deadbolt locks installed on both your front and back doors to make them more secure.

Unlike a standard door lock, a deadbolt is not spring-loaded and as a result, can only be opened by a key. It cannot be 'picked' open or broken through by brute force. The bolt component extends into an opening in the door frame. This opening is then reinforced with a steel plate, attached to the frame with large screws.

Deadbolts are extremely difficult to break, even if a burglar has a crowbar or other tool; it takes a great deal of time and effort; as such, the mere sight of this type of lock is usually enough to deter a thief from attempting to burglarise a property.

Whilst deadbolts can be purchased online, it is not advisable to install this type of lock yourself, as you are unlikely to have the tools or the expertise required to fit it correctly. Instead, hire a qualified, experienced locksmith to perform this task on your behalf.