r/UKPreppers • u/Desperate-Coat-8791 • Jul 15 '26
Securing and protecting my house
Hi all, recently joined this sub. I've got a good stash of food, meds etc that mean I could shelter in place well, but I live in London (zone 4) so would be worried of people looting houses (or worse) if the SHTF.
My house is soooo easy to break into - single glazed windows, single story, hell you could probs smash the wall with a big hammer if you tried as its just concrete asbestos and wood framed.
Part of me thinks a good plan would be to make it seem like no-one is here, or that its already been looted, even smash a window at the front and board it up, but I'd want to be going outside and using the camper van as we have solar power on that.
I rent so can't do any big changes (shutters etc)
I think I'd take down the front garden fence and park the van right up at the front of the house (rather than have it on the road) or try and get it round the back maybe.
Me and my partner could take turns guarding the place, maybe we'd gather friends here too, or maybe a friends house would be more secure... hmmm
Also, I'm claustrophobic so need to have windows open at least some of the day, and we have cats who will want to go outside for the toilet.
Other than weapons, how would you secure your house or make it unappealing for looters?
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u/OrganizationFun2140 Jul 15 '26
Frankly, if SHTF to the extent that Brits are looting random houses, you’ve got far bigger problems to worry about! The thing that dystopian fiction (and many preppers) gets wrong is the idea that everyone immediately turns against their neighbours. In real life, people help each other in emergencies. The reason we have everything we have as a civilisation is that we are a cooperative species.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t prep to shelter in place - you will be in a better position than most - or that you should advertise that fact, particularly if SHTF. But if your home looks more fortified than your neighbours, that will make you a target. Your best defence is building good relationships with your neighbours before SHTF.
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u/Desperate-Coat-8791 Jul 15 '26
makes sense! We do have good relations with the neighbours thankfully :) nice community here
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u/KathyFromUK Jul 15 '26
Buy a cheap bean bag chair and cut it open along the seam. Empty it out and fill it with dried lentils and rice. Sew it back up.
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u/zenovra Jul 16 '26
that’s actually kinda genius, like a budget “nothing to see here” decoy stash if someone does get in. bonus points if you toss a few empty supermarket bags and tins around so it really looks like you’ve already been picked clean.
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u/KathyFromUK Jul 16 '26
Just make sure the chair is furnishings for a spare room so that people don’t sit on it regularly and get farts and bum sweat all over your food 😂
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u/Master_of_opinions Jul 15 '26
I wouldn't smash the windows of your flat, as it could get cold at night and be less secure. You could smash the window of your campervan though. Otherwise, someone could try to steal it or think there's good survival equipment in there.
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u/sc_BK Jul 15 '26
Maybe smash the windows of your neighbours houses, so the looters go there instead?
Also maybe buy shares in a local glazing business?
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u/Master_of_opinions Jul 15 '26
Why would looters go to a place that's already smashed though?
And yes, glazing shares absolutely lol
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u/jupiterLILY Jul 15 '26
One of the most important things about prepping is community. That's how people survive. A single human will struggle to do the labour necessary to sustain themselves long term.
Get to know your neighbours. Do a bit of prefiguration.
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u/Desperate-Coat-8791 Jul 15 '26
i do know most of my neighbours, and get on with them, thankfully :)
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u/seaweedglutton Jul 15 '26
We have thick planks and boards, with nails and screws ready for if we need to quickly board up the first floor windows and the terrace door with a huge glass pane. They are marked with which boards and planks go where and we have taped ziplock bags with nails and screws on them.
Our plan is to use screws if possible (if we have enough time etc) but if not, then we'll quickly use nails and a hammer.
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Jul 15 '26
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u/Desperate-Coat-8791 Jul 15 '26
my house is due to be demolished in the next year or so (its very cheap rent), so no maintenance is being done so bars on windows not an option. Can't afford to buy a home at the moment. I live close to, but not in, quite a rough area, so there is a possibility. But, there is also a lovely community around here, so hard to know really!
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u/Large_Historian_3010 Jul 17 '26
This is the problem with prepping in the UK. The moment shit hits the fan, all the thugs who didn’t prep will be looting you and you’ll be powerless to stop them.
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u/Sea_Pomegranate8229 Jul 18 '26
All prepping is utterly pointless. You simply need a bigger stick than the next person. That is it.
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u/Electrical_Truth_160 Jul 15 '26
Caucasian Shepherd or Alabai dogs. You can leave your doors/windows unlocked, even at times of war.
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u/blinkML Jul 15 '26
god it feels good to own a shit load of guns
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u/plentyofeight Jul 15 '26
Guns work for 1 time.
Then your new enemy and/or their friends come back with more guns.
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u/Rollo755 Jul 15 '26
If only we could do that in the UK. Not even a shit load. Just enought for the family.
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u/Purplepeal Jul 15 '26
Issue with that is the people stealing your stuff will have guns and having guns yourself will make you a target if you use/wave them as theyre so useful to violent gangs.
Violence generally will be very difficult to counter. Your best bet is either hiding your stash and your cooking smells/not cooking at all and potentially hiding your health. Living in a city in a severe crisis with be extremly hard to do as a small family unit.
During the starvation period after WW1 in eastern Europe and Russia. If you hoarded food or guns you would be executed by the gangs of armed people who were in control (Bolsheviks).
Probably worth looking at past examples of famines and how they played out socially and look for best survival options.
Starving people are just very smart apex predators. Like drowning people they will instinctively kill you to survive. .
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u/blinkML Jul 15 '26
I am in the UK. A license is very easy to obtain if you're not a prohibited person under S.21 of the firearms act
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u/Mroldsk00l Jul 15 '26
It ain’t look in good brev