A man who committed a series of "clumsy" burglaries in Melbourne told police his DNA had been found at the crime scenes "by magic", a court has been told.

Di Miao, 54, has pleaded guilty to four charges of burglary, two counts of theft, and a number of other related charges.

The County Court heard that between January 2012 and January 2015 he broke into four homes — in Toorak, Balwyn, Clayton and Burwood.

In February 2015, police searched Miao's Doncaster home and found a "plethora" of cash, jewellery, electronic goods and handbags, prosecutor Temple Saville said.

A total of 192 items were found, including $10,000 in cash and a luxury watch worth $60,000.

The court heard he left DNA behind at several crime scenes — on a water bottle left at a home in Burwood, blood on a door at Clayton, and on a tool used to break into a property in Toorak.

Police also found a wig, a knife and a torch in a bag at his home, which Miao said were for Halloween.

Miao had initially denied the crimes, telling police he had been looking at possible houses to sell to Chinese investors.

"If the DNA was there then it must have got there by magic," Miao told police when he was interviewed in 2015, the court heard.

"He mentioned he had not committed any burglaries," Ms Saville said.

But Miao later admitted to the robberies in court.

Thief 'not a glamorous cat burglar'

The court was told that while Miao did not have a gambling problem, he owed at least $200,000 to Chinese nationals he met at Crown Casino.

He had owned and run a travel business specialising in Chinese tourists wanting to visit Australia, which had run into financial trouble.

"He is not some sort of master criminal," defence lawyer Matthew Page told the court.

"He's not a glamorous cat burglar.

"He's a middle-aged man who is drowning in debt and clumsily committed some burglaries in a manner in which he would inevitably be discovered."

Police had observed Miao wearing dark clothes and a wig, the court heard.

Mr Page conceded his client was "flimsily disguised under surveillance from police".

Judge Susan Cohen is expected to sentence him on Friday.