Although generally there is reduced risk of crime if you are staying in your home more, there are still some measures that you should take to ensure you are keeping your house secure. Below we’ve outlined some key things that you can make sure you’re doing to keep risks low.
1. Lock up
Burglaries aren’t always meticulously planned; they are often the results of spur-of-the-moment actions or simple opportunity.
Being aware of potential access points could help to deter these types of burglaries. This basically means locking up your house! Keeping windows, doors and gates locked even when you’re in the house will help your house be as secure as possible.
Keeping doors and windows locked If you’re in the garden is especially important, even though it’s tempting in the current climate to keep air flow through the house.
Burglaries normally take place between 8-12 minutes, which is the time it would take to cook sausages on a barbecue!
2. Hide your valuables
As we are spending more of our time home it’s easy to forget to protect our valuables.
Leaving valuables in easy to see places (windows, doors and letterboxes) may mean that you get unwanted attention from burglars. These are opportunists, so if they think they can break a window to get that valuable in seconds, they may be more likely to try.
Valuables can include keys and wallets as well as expensive gadgets. These should be kept out of sight of passers-by. If you have Bicycles or expensive garden tools in the garden, aim to have them locked in a shed or garage if you aren’t using them.
3. Change your routine
For burglaries that are planned, your house and routines may be being monitored for weeks. So, make sure you switch up the time you go for exercise or to the shops so it can’t be predicted.
4. Check what you post online
If your social media profiles aren’t private there’s a chance that burglars can monitor what you do on a day to day basis.
Thinking about posting in real-time about your workout regime or your brunch out on the eat out to help out scheme? Maybe delay the post until you are home. This will minimise the amount people can learn about your whereabouts and reduce risks.
5. Get secure
Improve the locks on your home or even think about getting an intruder alarm. This may help with your home insurance and adds an extra layer of security on your home.
Read our guide on what to look for with alarms here.
If you’re looking for home insurance, you can call our Find Insurance line on 0370 950 1790.