4 August 2024

Does your home need more security

Find which is the best home insurance to keep your belongings safe - whatever the level of security your home has

Fear of future crimes is leading Brits to feel their homes are not completely secure

Protect your house

Many Britons acknowledge that experiencing a burglary would make them more security conscious. And that they would take to defending themselves should they find an intruder in their home. The most popular weapons and security measures are as follows:

Kitchen knife, baseball bat, frying pan, heavy torch and scissors are the top five potential weapons people would use against an intruder.

On the other hand, locking all windows and doors, installing a house alarm, security lights, building high fences and having a dog are the main security measures people already use to protect themselves from burglars.

Bearing in mind this high perception of crime, having home insurance might be the best option for staying safe. In addition it is advisable to consider the following tips:

• Avoid keeping a spare key next to your door. However, if you do, bury it where only you can find it.

• Make your house appear occupied at all times: use timers to switch lights and radios on and off when you're not at home.

• Go for all wiring alarm systems, professional burglars look for places where they can disconnect the security system.

• If you have a faulty alarm that frequently goes off, get it fixed immediately and tell your neighbours that it's been repaired. Many people ignore an alarm that goes off periodically.

• Install deadlocks on external doors and close them all when not in use.

• Don't let strangers into your home unless they give you official proof of their identity.

• Cancel milk and newspaper deliveries before you go on holiday.

• Keep a record of your possessions.