Moving in to a new Home – Don’t Neglect your Home security.
Moving into a new home is the perfect time to think about security

New Home – New Home Security

It’s that time of year where we all like to check our mortgage calculators and plan our year ahead. For those of us moving home it can be a stressful time and we often overlook some of the most important things associated with that move – home security. For those of us staying where we are, planning how to keep burglars away is just as important as those monthly mortgage repayments. Below are a list of steps that we should keep in mind as we begin 2017.

Alarm systems

Make sure your alarm system is working. This may seem obvious but even if one connection is loose at an entry point your home becomes unsecure. Burglars can enter from that entry point and your alarm system will fail to ring. Noise has proven to be one of the most effective ways of scaring burglars once they have entered your home so making sure your system works has never been more important. The rise of smart home technology and smart cameras has now made it even easier to monitor your home whilst away. New inventions like the clever loop home security kit ensure you’re doing everything in your power to protect your home.

Locks

Ensure all your locks are secure and not old and easily broken. Locks are one of the few things we change regularly and we shouldn’t have to either. However its always good to have a look at all the locks whether your moving into a new home or staying in your existing home. Make sure that it’s difficult to forcibly break into your home. New home purchasers often find that locks are not always as secure as they had hoped with them being something that’s easily overlooked when moving in. we suggest using British standard locks. In order for any lock to be classed as a ‘British Standard’ lock they must have been through rigorous testing including strength, durability and of course security, these products are also re-assessed and re-tested to ensure you have complete confidence in the safety, quality and reliability of the locks you have installed in your home. A higher quality lock such as a British Standard lock can act as a great deterrent against burglary as it will make it a lot harder for the intruder to gain entry.

Secure the perimeter

Fencing, hedging and walls around your home can attract or deter thieves. It’s always a good practice to comb over your surroundings and look for any possible entry points. Large walls and hedges though in theory are good they have proven to increase home insurance premiums for one simple reason; once a burglar has got passed them they are free to work without the fear of being interrupted from onlookers. It’s therefore advisable to have smaller hedges and walls that make it difficult but don’t obscure the view of anyone passing by too much. Thorny hedges under your windows and around the home have always proven to be effective ways of deterring burglars.  Gravel and stone driveways are also good as they create noise when passed over drawing attention to any uninvited guests.

Lights –Burglars are in search of houses with no one home. To reduce your home’s risk of burglary at night, install motion lights on the front and on the rear of your house wherever possible. To be extra cautious, try to position the lights at the corners of your residence so the motion detectors can catch someone approaching from the side. Make sure the lights are positioned at a height that someone cannot disable them by easily reaching up and unscrewing the bulb. Also use lighting within the home to give the perception the home is not empty. The light switch timer is a programmable timer that controls your existing mains lights when you’re away. If your home looks occupied then a burglar is more likely to strike elsewhere.

Protect your valuables – Don’t leave your valuables (Laptop, jewellery, mobiles etc.) where they can be seen from a window, consider drapes or blinds so that any view of the interior of your home is restricted.

The illusion of being home

If you work evenings or know you are going away on holiday for a number of weeks there are a number of cheaper options available that when used give the illusion that someone is still in the property.

• Light switch timer – programmable timer for your mains lights
• TV Simulator – Simulates the light of a LED TV.
• Pay for Royal Mail’s ‘Keepsafe’ Service to ensure any post you receive whilst you’re away doesn’t pile up; this can be a tell-tale sign that your property isn’t currently occupied.
• Introduce your self to the neighbours.