10 Top Tips for a Safer Home

We all deserve to feel safe and secure in our own homes, but there is always a chance that an incident could occur that threatens our safety. The biggest hazards with home safety are burglary and home invasion attempts, and accidents or threats to safety within the home such as fire. According to statistics gathered by NimbleFins home insurance this year, when a burglar enters a victim’s home, they cause an average of £1,413 worth of damage, steal £2,856 of goods and leave 84% of victims in emotional distress. So, how can you make your home safer? Read on for 10 top tips:

1. Secure your Doors

Door security is one of the most important aspects of home security, as this is a prime target for burglars. Make sure that all your external doors are robust and secure with high quality locks, such as a 3* Kitemarked Euro cylinder. You could also install a deadbolt and strike plate and consider the security from the inside of the door – door chains and door viewers can help to prevent unwanted visitors.

2. Secure your Windows

Windows should be fitted with high-security locks and window restrictors to prevent attempted break-ins – 1 in 5 burglars will enter through a window, but only 6.3% will smash the glass to enter. This means that your window security is doing all the work in preventing access.
Fit windows with a window lock to prevent the sash from being levered from the outside and use a window restrictor to limit how far a window can open to prevent burglars from climbing through them or attempting to pull things out.

3. Light your Outdoor Surroundings

Make sure that the outside of your home is well lit – 58.3% of burglary attempts happen at night in the dark. Lighting indicates to potential criminals that people are at home or that they will be seen if they attempt a break-in. Motion sensor lights are another thing to consider, as these are an effective deterrent. Criminals are attracted to dark, unlit entryways where they are less likely to be seen and identified.
Besides deterring burglars, good lighting also reduces the chance of accidents if you have to go outside at night.

4. Install Security Cameras

Security cameras can act as an effective deterrent if they’re in plain view of potential criminals, as they know they could be identified and caught. Even if a burglar isn’t put off by this, you’re much more likely to get your belongings back via the Police if you’ve caught the incident on camera. You can purchase cameras that connect to a mobile app, so you can always see who’s outside your home even when you’re away.

5. Secure Sheds and Outhouses

Sheds, outhouses, and garages should be secured with a padlock if they do not have their own lock. Get a high-quality anti-corrosion padlock with a high security rating.

6. Protect your Front Door from Fishing

A low-quality letterbox can leave your front door vulnerable to fishing – a method of attack where burglars will extend a metal hook through the letter plate to “fish” items within reach. Leaving keys near the door could allow them to be fished through the letterbox, and an intruder can then open the door.
High quality letterplates such as our Soterian TS008 prevent fishing by restricting how far the flap can be opened, and also cannot be unscrewed from the door due to the concealed fixings.

7. Hide Expensive Items from View

Don’t leave expensive items visible in your front windows or in the garden. This is advertising to criminals that you have something worth stealing! Be conscious of what can be seen from the outside, similar to not leaving expensive items on view inside your car when you leave it.

8. Use Safes for High-Value Items

If someone should get inside your home, you can protect your valuables with a safe. You can get portable safes or ones anchored to the ground depending on your needs. Safes such as the Salvus Monza safe can also protect valuables in a fire, keeping all your important documents and treasured items safe.

9. Secure your WiFi

Your WiFi security may not be something you’d consider as part of your home safety, but your wireless network is essentially an entryway to your personal and financial information. Smart home devices connected to your home WiFi can be hacked, allowing intruders to access them and break in. Putting measures in place such as securing your wireless router, enabling WPA (WiFi Protected Access) or WPA2 encryption, renaming and hiding your home network, using a firewall, using anti-virus software, and creating strong passwords can prevent breaches of information.

10. Check Smoke Alarms Regularly

Different from burglary prevention, but still just as essential for home safety, is smoke alarm maintenance.
According to the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, you’re four times more likely to die in a fire if you don’t have a smoke alarm that works. By not being alerted to a fire via a smoke alarm in time, fire and smoke can spread quickly, leading to a deadly situation that can be avoided with the right safety precautions.
Remember to also check that carbon monoxide detectors are fully functional.

 

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