Property marking deters thieves. It becomes more difficult to dispose of and therefore less attractive to the thief, it is also another aid in identifying your property. The mark used is your postcode plus the number of your house or flat, or first two letters of your house name.
One cheap, but effective method is by the use of an ultra violet pen or marker but this is not permanent and can be removed by polishing so it needs to be renewed on a regular basis. On appropriate surfaces such as metal, etching or engraving kits can be used and are virtually permanent, even if an attempt is made to file the code off this will provide an indication that the item has been tampered with. This is why it is also important to make a record of where on the item the property was post coded.
Pottery and porcelain can be coded with a ceramic marker, which leaves a permanent mark. When marking expensive or delicate items expert advice should be sought to avoid damaging or reducing the value of the item.
Record the serial and model numbers of all electrical items.