Tips for Securing Your Property in Spain

Spain is a country with a low crime rate, particularly when compared to other European countries. Whilst Spain has seen a well-publicised rise in crime in the last two years, this is a problem that largely effects Barcelona and other major cities, rather than the more tranquil Costa del Sol. In fact, in 2018 the rate of burglaries in the Costa del Sol fell by 11.7 percent. The Costa del Sol remains one of the least crime-affected areas in Spain.

Despite these promising statistics, it’s important to secure your property properly when you’re living in Spain: this is particularly true if you're looking to buy a Spanish property as a holiday home that will be unoccupied for several months of the year.

The laidback life style when you’re living in Spain can lead you to imagine you’re living in a paradise that wouldn’t be penetrated by something as comparatively pedestrian as crime. But one thing you should never be laidback about, no matter where you’re living, is your home security.

With that in mind, here are our top tips for securing your property in Spain:

Lock Your Doors

It might sound obvious, but whenever you leave your property (even if you are just popping to the local shops or for a walk on the beach) you should lock the doors. Ensure that your locks are secure and that they can’t easily be removed or broken into.

When you buy a new Spanish property, you should also change the locks as soon as possible. You can’t be sure that the previous owners, their family members, or even your neighbours don’t also have a copy of the key, diluting your security considerably. Changing the locks should give you piece of mind about the safety of your home, as well as increasing its security.

Hide Your Valuables

You wouldn’t leave piles of cash lying around unattended, so why would you leave your TV, laptop, or Rolex watch in plain view of an open window? The security of your Spanish property will increase when you hide your valuables, making breaking in to your property look less desirable to burglars.

Many burglars are opportunistic, and will be attracted by an open window, or by expensive goods that are easy to remove and carry. Hiding these valuables, in conjunction with a high level of home security, will significantly reduce the likelihood that your home will be targeted.

Install an Alarm System

Installing an alarm system is integral for homeowners living in rural Spanish areas where local police may be slow to respond to suspected burglaries, or other crimes which are considered to be low level. When you install an alarm system a private security team with rush to your property when your alarm is triggered, and most companies offer guaranteed response times so that you can be sure that you will get professional help and support as quickly as possible.

The Best Security Companies in Malaga

Has reading this piece made you realise that you need to up your security game? Does your Spanish property need a helping hand to ensure it is as safe and protected from potential criminals as it can be?

Choosing a security company can feel overwhelming: you need to ensure that you are getting the support and protection you need whilst operating within the parameters of the law. It is no longer legal for alarm systems to alert the police in certain circumstances, as a result of too many false alarms from security alarms overwhelming local forces. As a result, consumers are advised to only to invest in security systems that are both connected to alarm headquarters and backed up by their own private security guards. 

The new law requires companies to send a representative to your home in order to confirm the incident is indeed a burglary before calling police, so those companies without an adequate security team could delay your getting the help and police support you need.

With this in mind, here are our picks of the best security companies in Malaga that will meet these specific legal security needs:

Segurisur
Address: Centro Comercial Eurocentro, Calle Capitulaciones, 38, 1ªPlanta, 29620 Torremolinos, Málaga
Phone: 902 158 583 / 952 377 680
Offering Security Officer Services, security guards, a central alarm team based in Malaga and a home maintenance team. Segurisur is local, and offers a large team of highly qualified security guards to ensure that help is always there when you need it.

Malaca Seguridad
Address: Calle los Jazmines, 1, 29660 Marbella, Málaga, España
Phone: +34 952 81 80 77
Malaca Seguridad has a host of high profile luxury commercial clients, such as Chopard, Dolce and Gabanna and Louis Vuitton, whilst also offering their services to residential customers. Malaca Seguridad offer modern security systems that are supported by a large and competent team of local security experts.

Are you searching for a property for sale in Spain? Our property experts are perfectly placed to offer all of the help and support you need. Why not get in touch today?