Securing an Edinburgh tenement or townhouse: where to start
Start with the entrance everyone shares
In a tenement, the main door is the first line of defence for every flat in the stair. A door that does not close cleanly, an entry system that has stopped working, or a habit of propping the door open on bin day undermines everything else.
Walk the route a visitor would take. Can the door be pushed open? Is the entry panel legible and working? Are there dark corners at the foot of the stair where someone could wait out of sight?
Light the spaces between
Edinburgh’s older properties often have shadowed areas: basement wells, rear lanes, shared drying greens and closes. Good lighting in these in-between spaces removes the cover that unwanted visitors rely on.
Consider where light actually falls rather than where fittings happen to be. A well-placed light at a rear gate can matter more than a decorative fitting at the front.
Think in layers, not gadgets
An alarm, a camera or a stronger lock each helps, but they work best as layers that support each other. Physical security slows someone down; detection tells you something is happening; visibility discourages the attempt in the first place.
Before buying anything, walk your property and note the three places that concern you most. Those are usually where a conversation with a security professional should begin.