Tips to make your home more secure
Most home robberies are committed by thieves who take advantage of unlocked doors and windows, vulnerable entrances and easily accessed spare keys.
There are few things more distressing than coming home to find you’ve been the victim of a burglary; everyone deserves to feel secure in their own home.
While most home insurance policies cover for theft, prevention really is the best cure – here’s a few simple home security tips.
Upgrade your locks
Entrances and windows should be fitted with good, reliable locks to keep your home secure whether you’re in the house or out of it. Locking doors is important – for many contents insurance policies it’s an essential condition. Keep your home as secure as possible by fitting doors with a rim automatic deadlock as well as a Mortice deadlock. A door limiter or door chain can also help increase your feeling of security when you’re at home.
Hide spare keys
Hiding a spare key under a doormat or in the garden shed is a popular way to avoid being locked out if you forget or lose your keys – but unfortunately, because it’s so popular, it’s also a well-known trick for buglers. Never leave keys in easily accessible places. Instead, leave a spare with a friend or neighbour where it’s more secure.
Draw the blinds
At night and while on holiday, draw the blinds so your valuable items cannot be easily seen by passers-by outside.
Set timers
Internal timers that set lights to go on and off automatically can give the illusion of you being home if you’re away overnight. Keeping your outdoor lights on for a few hours in the evening also helps remind would-be thieves you’re awake and at home.
Install floodlights
If you have a large garden with plenty of dark shadows or low visibility on the side of your home or near an entrance, motion sensor flood lights can be a great solution. The light remains off unless motion triggers the sensor – if any unwanted visitors do visit your property, they’ll lose the anonymity of darkness.
Hide away tools
Put away tools, gardening equipment and ladders in a locked garage or shed when not in use and never leave them lying around overnight.
Install a security system
A home security system is another simple way to beef up the security in your house, particularly if you live alone or feel vulnerable. A security system is a powerful deterrent to intruders and range in price and complexity from simple to elaborate. You can install a simple system yourself or use a security service to provide monitoring and maintenance for increased peace of mind.
What steps have you taken to make your home more secure?
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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