The Best Security Upgrades for Each Room in Your Home

Most Australians don’t think seriously about home security until after something goes wrong. And by then, the cost, financial and emotional, is already paid.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, home break-ins affected an estimated 185,300 households during the 2022–23 financial year. That’s a rate of 1.8% of all Australian households, and that only counts incidents that were reported. The real number is almost certainly higher.

The good news? A large proportion of break-ins are entirely preventable. Research from the Australian Institute of Criminology found that two-thirds of burglars typically enter through unlocked doors or windows, meaning the barrier wasn’t force; it was simply opportunity. Better locks, stronger doors, and quality security screens take that opportunity away.

So where do you start? Here’s a room-by-room guide to the security upgrades that actually make a difference. For a broader look at where Australian homes are most vulnerable, see our guide to the weakest points of entry.

The Front Door: Your First Line of Defence

Your front door is the most visible entry point on your property, and despite that visibility, or perhaps because of it, it’s one of the most commonly used by intruders. A survey by Compare the Market found that back doors account for 27% of burglary entries, but front door breaches remain significant, whether through forced entry or simply an unlocked deadbolt.

What to do:

• Upgrade to a security door. A solid-core or steel security door is a major deterrent. Standard hollow-core doors can be breached quickly; a purpose-built security door is built to resist kicking, prying, and impact.
• Install a quality deadbolt. Look for a Grade 1 deadbolt (the highest residential security rating) with a bolt throw of at least 25mm.
• Add a security screen door. A heavy-duty stainless steel mesh screen adds a secondary barrier that’s ventilated and lockable, you can keep the main door open on hot days without compromising security.
• Ditch the hidden spare key. Under the mat, in the letterbox, beneath a pot plant, burglars know all of these. Give your spare key to a trusted neighbour instead.

The Back Door and Sliding Doors: The Overlooked Entry

Back doors are used in around 27% of Australian burglaries, making them the second most common entry point after windows. The reason is simple: they’re out of public view. A thief working on your back door is shielded from passing traffic, curious neighbours, and security cameras facing the street.

Sliding glass doors present a particular vulnerability. Many older sliding doors can be lifted off their tracks or forced open with minimal effort. The lock mechanisms that come standard are often poor quality.

What to do:

• Replace or reinforce your back door. If it’s hollow-core timber or a basic aluminium door, consider replacing it with a security-rated alternative.
• Install a security screen on all external rear doors. This applies to laundry doors and side access doors too, anywhere a person can pass through.
• Secure your sliding doors. A sliding door lock isn’t enough on its own. Add a blocking bar (a length of steel or timber in the track) and look at installing a key-locking security screen to the sliding door opening.
• Check hinges. Exposed hinges on outward-opening doors can be tampered with. Security hinges with non-removable pins fix this.

Windows: The Most Common Entry Point

It may come as a surprise, but windows are actually the single most common entry point for burglars in Australia. The Compare the Market survey found that 31% of Australian burglars enter through a window, and many of those windows weren’t broken. They were simply unlocked, left ajar, or had inadequate latches.

This risk peaks in summer. When the heat climbs, Australians leave windows open overnight, and that habit creates an easy path inside.

What to do:

• Install window security screens. High-quality stainless steel mesh screens allow airflow while keeping intruders out. Look for screens that meet Australian Standard AS 5039, which tests for impact, jemmy, and knife resistance.
• Add window locks or key locks. Standard window latches can be flipped with a thin tool pushed through the gap. Keyed window locks prevent this.
• Use window restrictors for upstairs rooms. Second-floor windows feel safer, but a ladder, or nearby tree, changes that. A window restrictor limits how far a window can open without a key.
• Avoid leaving windows open when you’re out. Even a cracked-open window is an invitation. Security screens give you the choice to ventilate safely. For a closer look at which screen suits which window, see our room-by-room security screen guide.

The Garage: A Two-Stage Risk

The garage is one of the most underestimated entry points in Australian homes. It’s where expensive tools, bikes, and vehicles live, all attractive targets. But the greater risk is what’s beyond the garage: for homes with an internal access door, getting into the garage means getting into the house.

Research consistently shows that almost one in four Australian residential burglaries involve a secondary entrance like a garage. And it takes a skilled intruder less than two minutes to bypass a standard, unreinforced roller door.

What to do:

• Lock the internal door between your garage and your home. Treat it the same as your front door. It should be solid, well-fitted, and deadlocked.
• Upgrade your garage door mechanism. Look for a system with a rolling code (also called a hopping code) rather than a fixed code, which is harder to intercept.
• Don’t leave your garage remote in the car. A broken car window gives access to your remote, and through it, your home.
• Install a security screen on the internal garage-to-home door. This adds a lockable barrier even when you’re moving between spaces.

Bedrooms: Where the Most Valuable Items Live

Most burglars head straight to the master bedroom. It’s where jewellery, cash, and personal electronics are typically found, and in many break-ins, it’s where they spend the most time. According to Budget Direct’s research, personal items including jewellery and clothing are among the most commonly stolen in Australian residential break-ins.

What to do:

• Secure bedroom windows with screens. Many bedrooms have windows that are left open at night for fresh air, a security screen means you can sleep comfortably without the risk.
• Consider a small home safe. A bolted-down safe puts your most valuable items out of reach for a thief working quickly.
• Don’t display valuables near windows. Jewellery, laptops, and handbags visible from outside signal what’s inside.

Living Areas and Entry Halls: What Visitors, and Intruders, See First

The front entry and living areas are often where people are most visible from outside, but also where access is easiest. A poorly lit porch, an unsecured side gate, or a letterbox overflowing with mail all signal to an opportunist that the property isn’t well-managed.

What to do:

• Install motion-sensor lights at your entry. Good lighting is one of the most cost-effective deterrents available.
• Put a video doorbell or intercom on your front entry. You can see and speak to anyone at your door from your phone, wherever you are.
• Secure your side gate. An unlocked side gate gives easy, hidden access to the back of your property. A padlocked gate or one fitted with a high latch changes that calculation. Getting the height right matters too, see our guide to gate height for privacy.
• Consider a deadlocked security screen at your entry. This lets you open the main door to speak to someone without fully exposing your home, and without removing the outer barrier.

A Final Word on Security Screens and Doors

If there’s one upgrade that delivers across multiple rooms and entry points, it’s quality security screens and doors. A screen that meets AS 5039, the Australian Standard for Auburn security screen doors and window screens, has been independently tested for the kinds of force a genuine break-in involves: knife cuts, impact, and jemmying. Not all screens on the market meet this standard, so it pays to ask. And once fitted, regular care keeps them performing. Here’s how to clean and maintain your screens.

Burglars are, above all else, looking for the easiest target. Homes that take visible, credible steps to harden their entry points don’t tend to get chosen. When your doors and windows show that entry will take time, noise, and effort, most opportunists move on.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics data tells us that break-ins are common enough to take seriously, but the same research tells us most break-ins exploit basic lapses in security. Fix those lapses, and you’ve already done more than most.