All responsible householders will want to take reasonable precautions to protect themselves, their families, and their property against the risk of fire and burglary. The cost and effort involved is small by comparison with the possible expense of replacement or even rebuilding, not to mention the grief caused by personal injury and the loss of items of sentimental value which are irreplaceable.
Many householders wrongly believe that they are unlikely to be burgled because they are not wealthy. Statistics show that most intruders are opportunists in search of expensive items such as laptops, games consoles, television sets (which today are much easier to pick up and carry away today than they were 10 years ago), DVD players and DAB radios. The average burglar will take only a few minutes to rob a house, and often they will do it in broad daylight. In all honesty no house is safe from attack, especially those that offer an open invitation to thieves. It is virtually impossible to stop a determined thieve from breaking into your house, but you can do a great deal to make it more difficult for the inexperienced criminal. There are parts of the house that are more vulnerable than others but there is no area where you cannot use methods to help safeguard your home and in many instances the more security measures you take the more likely it is you will get cheap home insurance cover.
Front Door- A thief may ring the doorbell/knock on the door and if there is no answer they will force an entry. Fit a strong lock that conforms to the current standard. Also fit a bolt top and bottom on the inside. If you have a glass panel in the front door, the bolts must be lockable. Also attach a security chain to stop an intruder bursting through as you open the door a fraction, a door viewer would allow you to view and identify the caller. If you live in a flat where the front door is the only vulnerable part of your home, consider having a multi-point lock fitted as it will throw bolts to all four sides of the door at the same time.
Dark Porch- It is important to fit a porch light so that a door viewer is usable when darkness arrives. A light may well make a thief think twice before attempting a break in.
Back Door and Side Door- It is easy for a burglar to work without being seen at the side or rear of a house. Fit similar mortise locks to those of the front door. If the door opens outwards then you should fit hinge bolts which will firmly hold the door in its frame even if the hinge pins are driven out.
Downstairs Windows - These are always vulnerable, even more so at the side and back of the house. Fit catches and locks that suit the look of the window. And most important is that they must have removable keys so that a burglar cannot break the glass and remove them.
Upstairs Windows - As with the downstairs windows fit locks that have removable keys. Even if they can only be reached from outside using a ladder, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Garages and Sheds - Always lock outbuildings to protect contents and also to prevent a thief from using your own tools to break into your home. Fit a standard lock or a padlock with a close fitting or concealed shackle, doing this means it cannot be cut easily. It is best to choose a design that covers the fixing screws, and if at all possible, substitute bolts for screws which will prevent the lock being prised off
Tags: Home Insurance, Home Security