KEEP THIEVES AT BAY
How to protect your home while you’re away
EIGHTY per cent of break-ins occur when occupants are out of their homes. With the summer holiday season in full swing, LIZ PHILLIPS explains how you can best deter burglars while you are off enjoying the sun.
YOU are off on holiday and have checked that everything is packed. But unless you are careful, all may not be well at home while away. Almost eight out of ten burglaries take place while no one is inside the property, according to Home Office statistics.
Opportunistic burglars look for homes they can get into and out of quickly – with one in three gaining access through a window.
So it is essential that all windows and doors with glass panels are fitted with locks and keys, and the same is true for skylights.
Although the window may be big enough for a burglar to climb through, police say intruders worry about the noise of breaking glass giving them away and the risk of cutting themselves as they clamber in.
Do turn on your alarm if you have one when you leave. If you have told your insurer you have an alarm and do not use it, any burglary claim may be turned down.
Modern alarms will ring you to tell you when they are set off, allowing you to send someone to investigate.
Last summer there were 416 home burglary claims a day costing insurers more than £700,000 daily.
The items most likely to be stolen are wallets, purses, jewellery and computers, according to insurance comparison website Gocompare.
Ben Wilson, the website’s home cover expert, says: ‘With computers it is often what is stored on them in terms of personal and financial information that is most valuable to a burglar.
‘Cash goes down well, but a wallet full of credit and debit cards can be like Christmas coming early.’
Valuables such as jewellery should be hidden. Police say the loft is best for this as thieves are often wise to ‘fake’ food tins and containers in the freezer and will check these.
The more difficult you make it to break into your home, the better the chance that a thief will give up and move on to the next house.
Simon Warsop of home insurer Aviva says: ‘It is important to be aware that burglars won’t be taking a holiday, so make sure your home isn’t an easy target. Make sure your property is secure, including the back gate, and where possible hide away wheelie bins and garden furniture that can be used to give burglars a leg-up into your home.’
Be careful using social media so that you don’t broadcast that your house is empty. Also do not tell callers on your answering machine or voicemail that you are away.
Wilson says: ‘Try to make it obvious that your home is protected. Window stickers and an external box for the alarm’s siren send clear messages to the burglar that breaking into this home might be more trouble than it is worth.’
You can get motion-triggered CCTV cameras for less than £100, which can act as a deterrent and may help police catch criminals if they do get in. Lower-tech devices such as timers on lights and radios will make your home appear occupied to passers-by. And motion-sensitive outside lights are a deterrent.
Opinion is divided about whether to leave curtains open or closed, so it is best to leave them as you usually do. Patio doors can be lifted out of the frame, so you should fit locks to the top and bottom.
Selwyn Fernandes, managing director of home cover at insurer LV=, says: ‘Grow natural defences such as prickly hedges and dense bushes to put off potential intruders. Gravel on the driveway can put some thieves off as it makes a noise at night when you walk on it.’
Do not forget to secure your garage, shed and any outbuildings. Apart from holding valuable contents themselves, they may have tools or ladders that will help thieves break in.
Wilson says: ‘Don’t keep a spare key outside or in an unlocked garage or shed. Burglars know all the usual hiding places, so don’t make life easy for them.
‘Also, your insurer may have issues with a claim if there is no sign of a forced entry. Instead, leave a key with a trusted neighbour.’
You can ask a friend or family member to check on your home while you are away and you should join the local Neighbourhood Watch scheme if there is one. Make this obvious by putting its sign in a front window.
Fernandes adds: ‘It is also worth considering adding personal possession insurance to your policy if you are planning on taking valuable items away with you on holiday. This covers the loss of items away from the home.’