How secure is your home?

Home security - protecting your home...
It is hardly surprising that the number of domestic burglaries rises in the summer months. As temperatures rise, people throw open their windows and doors to let some fresh air in, with little thought to the security of their home.

According to the British Crime Survey (BCS) 2006-07, households with no home security measures were almost ten times more likely to have been victims of burglary than households where there were simple security measures in place, such as deadlocks on doors. Here we look at easy ways to make your home more secure.

Windows and doors
Statistics show that two thirds of burglars gain entry or remove items through doors, so the most obvious way to protect your home is to make sure your doors and windows are secure. With this in mind, start by making sure your external doors and their frames are strong and sturdy, as well as checking they have not been damaged by everyday wear and tear. If you are worried about any wooden doors, these can be made stronger by fitting a steel strip and plates to the door frame and around the lock.

Don't forget to check the hinges too – a sturdy door is no defence if a burglar can easily take it off its hinges, so make sure hinges are robust and attached to both the door and the door frame using long, strong screws. Finally, check the locks, as most insurers insist on five-lever mortise deadlocks on external doors. If your locks aren't up to scratch you could be invalidating your insurance.

Around 30 per cent of burglars gain access through a window, so your next step should be to check that all windows and their frames are in a good state of repair, particularly wooden frames which are susceptible to rot, and metal frames which may be prone to rust. Easily visible locks put a thief off targeting your house, as they won't want to break the glass and risk attracting attention. Key-operated window locks can be purchased from a DIY store and should be fitted to all downstairs windows and easily-accessible upstairs windows. Don't forget that skylights needs locks too. Double glazed windows are usually fitted with an integral locking system. Before fitting extra locks to PVC-U or metal windows, check that the warranty won't be effected.

Although it can be tempting to leave doors and windows open in the summer, figures show that in one in five burglaries the perpetrator doesn't even have to use force to gain entry. Although most burglaries occur when no one is home, many occur while there is someone in the house, so you mustn't assume that just because you are home it is safe to leave your doors and windows open. Also bear in mind that if a thief enters your home through an open door or window, your insurance company may refuse to pay out.

Securing the Perimeter
Of course there are a number of steps you can take to stop a would-be burglar from getting anywhere near your house in the first place. Make sure you check fences regularly and repair any gaps or weak spots. You could also consider attaching trellis to the top of your fencing, which will look attractive while also providing a flimsy structure that an intruder would find it difficult to climb over. Using gravel on driveways and paths can act as a deterrent, as the noise will alert you to visitors approaching your house. It is also a good idea to keep shrubs and plants trimmed back so that there are no handy hiding places where a burglar could lurk while planning how to overcome your security measures. Additionally, a few well placed prickly plants can put a potential intruder off venturing onto your property.

It is also important to remember to protect the possessions in your garden as well as those inside your home. Furniture, ornaments and gardening equipment are obvious targets, so make sure that anything valuable is locked away. Thieves will use anything to try and gain entry to your home, so tools left lying around could easily be put to good use by an opportunist burglar. You might be surprised at the lengths a burglar will go to – even wading into ponds to steal ornamental fish and digging up valuable plants and shrubs!

Security Equipment
Burglar alarms are great for scaring away a thief in the process of trying to enter your home – police statistics show that 60 per cent of burglaries on homes fitted with burglar alarms are unsuccessful. Just the sight of an alarm will often put a burglar off even trying to enter your home. Prices for getting a burglar alarm installed by a reputable company start at around £450, but the cheaper alternative is to buy a simple system and fit it yourself, with prices ranging from around £50 to £300. For the elderly or those living in more remote areas, a monitored alarm might be a good idea. Here, signals from the burglar alarm are sent via telephone lines to the company responsible for the alarm, who will check if the alert is genuine and then notify the police.

Alternatively, a CCTV system can act as a good deterrent, and even if a thief is not perturbed, with good quality video footage the police stand a better chance of catching the culprits. Again prices start at around £50, but remember, you get what you pay for, and grainy pictures are about as useful as no pictures at all! A cheaper alternative is movement activated security lights, with prices starting as low as £5!

Although there are a whole range of security devices on the market, protecting your home needn't break the bank. If you think a fancy alarm system is a waste of money, a dummy alarm box fixed to the outside of your house can be just as effective in deterring would-be burglars. Also, a simple outside light with an energy saving bulb is a low-cost alternative to movement activated security lights. Even a simple device like a spyhole in your front door can offer you some protection while also showing thieves that you are security conscious. Another cheap choice is home security stickers, such as CCTV warnings or Neighbourhood Watch stickers, which will make a potential thief think twice about targeting your home.

Going on Holiday
Another reason that summer is the prime time of year for burglars, is that people across the UK head off on holiday leaving their homes unoccupied. But every time you go away, whatever the time of year and even if it's only for a day or two, remember that a house that is obviously unoccupied is a tempting target for an opportunist thief. With this in mind, it is worth spending the time taking a few extra security precautions before jetting off on your holidays, so that while you're away you can concentrate on enjoying yourself!

You know that sinking feeling you get when you've only driven five minutes down the road and then you realise that you forgot to check whether all windows and doors were locked and the security alarm is set? We've all done it! Make life easier by giving yourself a little reminder, maybe a post-it note stuck on the inside of the front door, so that it's the last thing you see before you leave the house!

If you have milk or newspapers delivered, remember to cancel these for the duration of your holiday, as a build up could easily indicate to a burglar that no one is home. It's also a good idea to ask a neighbour to collect your post, as a pile up of post could easily be spied through a nearby window. A few 24 hour timer plugs could be a good investment, as you can set a few lights and perhaps a TV or radio to come on for a set amount of time each day, making it seem like someone is home. And make sure your home contents insurance is up-to-date, so that if the unthinkable happens, at least you will be able to claim some compensation.

Internal Security
Finally, if the worst comes to the worst and a burglar does manage to get into your home, there are still things you can do to protect your possessions. Try and make sure anything valuable is out of sight. Of course, making sure expensive equipment like plasma TVs and stereo systems can't be spied through a window means that a burglar might not be tempted into your home in the first place. But once a thief is in your home he wants to take what he can and be in and out as quickly as possible – he won't want to waste time looking through drawers and cupboards looking for things to steal.

You could consider removing the risk from the equation altogether for a few select items by removing them from your home and placing them in a safety deposit box. Alternatively, why not buy a safe for your home, with prices starting at around £25. For larger items, or those that are in regular use, security marking won't stop your things being taken, but will mean that if police are able to recover your possessions they will quickly and easily know who to return them to.

Your security code should consist of your house number (or the first three letters of your house name) and your postcode. Permanent marker pen can act as a deterrent if you mark your possessions in a prominent place, but if you don't want to effect the appearance of the items, you could use an ultra-violet marker pen, which will be invisible to the naked eye once the ink dries. You can also get special markers for fine china and porcelain, which leave an indelible mark on top of the glaze and therefore shouldn't affect the value.

So whether you're going away or staying home this summer, take the time to review the security of your home, giving you piece of mind to relax and enjoy the break!

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