Don’t give burglars the green light
The festive season is fast approaching and while most of us are starting to work out our plans for Christmas and New Year, it is important that we remember that so too are potential burglars. The winter months bring longer periods of darkness with it, along with the worry for many homeowners that their property may be vulnerable to burglary.
Contrary to popular belief, burglars don’t just strike a night, “they are most likely to be active between 9am and 5pm“ (safe.co.uk) when it is assumed that most people will be out of their homes getting on with general daily tasks such as going to work, the school run, shopping, visiting friends/family, hitting the gym, the list goes on… Lack of reasonable measures when it comes to safeguarding your home and possessions could be a costly mistake and apart from the loss of material possession, damage to the property and emotional stress of a burglary, you could face the possible problem of your insurance not paying out
Lack of reasonable measures when it comes to safeguarding your home and possessions could be a costly mistake and apart from the loss of material possessions, damage to the property and emotional stress of a burglary, you could face the possible problem of your insurance not paying out if you have not been vigilant with the basic measures that your insurance company expect from a homeowner or tenant.
This is why it is so important to remember the importance of putting into place some simple security measures to keep your home safe this winter.
Top five tips for keeping your home safe:
- Don’t advertise – never announce on social media that you are planning a day trip or holiday away during the festive break, this is an open invitation to potential burglars to let them know you will be leaving your home unattended.
- Light it up – Leave a light on at different times of day and in different rooms in the house to give the appearance of someone being in the house. Areas such as hallways and stairs with lights on are often a clear indication to potential thieves that you are in fact out, so consider carefully the rooms that you are most likely to use and light them up a little to help put burglars off approaching your property.
- Be window wise – Check your windows and doors are in good working order and ensure that they are locked every single time you leave the house. Although most burglars are savvy enough to be able to easily get through your windows or doors, if you make their job a little bit harder by being vigilant then it could make their job harder. The more time they have to spend trying to get in, the more opportunity there is for a neighbour or passerby to notice that something isn’t right.
- Keep keys hidden – don’t leave your keys in an obvious position in the house or within view from a window or door. Consider investing in a key safe as again this will take a potential thief unwanted time and effort which could deter them from the crime.
- Nosy neighbours – While most people find a nosy neighbour challenging, so too will a burglar. If you have a rapport with your neighbours then ask them to be nosy in your absence. They may be willing to keep an eye on your property if you are going to be away. Even moving the bins out on bin day can give the appearance that you are still at home, or prepare them with information about any regular trades that they can expect to see, such as window cleaners so that if anyone out of the ordinary turns up then they know to watch a bit closer and sound the alarm if needed.
Whether you are the homeowner or tenant, the above tips are some very simple ways of safeguarding your home to help get you thinking about it before Christmas is in full swing. You may also want to think about investing in light timers, curtain timers, alarm systems, key safes, CCTV and more, as every bit of effort you make to crime-proof your home is worthwhile.
We hope you have found this helpful, but If you have a property on market with us or are considering putting your home on the market and still have questions about security, then please feel free to get in touch with our team on 01273 454878 or email info@middleton-estates.co.uk