5 Ways to Keep Your Home Secure This Winter

Did you know more than one third of burglars enter Irish homes through a downstairs window? And one third of people are at home when their homes are burgled? And almost 10% of robbers entered homes through unlocked doors? These are just some of the frightening statistics from a survey we conducted with Irish home insurance owners. The most worrying is, although 76% of burgled home owners had at least one home security feature, they were still targets.

We’ve spoken to Peter Murray from Stop the Burglar who offers a different perspective; things you shouldn’t do to keep your home secure.

1. Don't make your home a target 

Intruders plan the estates or areas they want to burgle. On the day or night itself, they look for signs that your home is the right one to choose. They are looking for: 

• Ease of access through a door: this is an ideal point of entry even if there is a burglar alarm because there is a 40 second delay before your alarm starts sounding if you enter through a door.
• A way to remain hidden to get through a window: solid side gates are ideal for this, no one can see them around the back of the house.

You know what the definition of home security is? Time. Stop the Burglar say the longer a thief thinks it will take to get into your home, the less likely they are to try. They want to be in and out as quickly as possible. The average burglar only spends 2 ½ minutes in your home. 

2. Don't build a fortress

There are two reasons for this:

1. You and your family may not be able to get out if there is a fire or other emergency.
2. A burglar will wonder, what is secured inside? It must be worth taking.

3. Have more than one lock on your door

By having 2 visible locks on your front door, you are showing a potential burglar that your door is going to take longer to force in so they are less likely to try. Make the second lock a thumb lock on the inside so you don’t have to worry about finding keys if there is an emergency.

4. Don't keep your blinds down

If you are out during the day, keeping blinds down may seem like a good way to keep your home secure, but it only serves to get a thief’s mind wondering about what may be inside. Or, if they do gain entry they know they will be hidden from view while they are in your home.

5. Don't leave your home looking empty

This is especially important over Christmas when house thieves will know many houses around the country will be empty as people go to visit or stay with relatives. If you can, park a car in the drive and have a trusted key holder collect post and open curtains.

These are 5 simple but effective steps to take to lessen the chances of your home being targeted by a burglar. Don’t risk losing your valuables make sure your home is well insured for peace of mind this Christmas.