Secure your Home

Here are our top tips to keep
your home safe and secure:

• Fit good quality locks on doors
  Most burglaries are through unlocked doors or windows. A good quality lock is a deterrent, so always choose the best door locks for your home.
  
  
• Always lock your house, when you are in and when you are going out. Most front doors are fitted with a rim latch, but as extra protection fit a five-lever mortise lock (kitemarked BS 3621) or bolts to all outside doors. Be sure your locks comply with your insurance company's requirements.
  
  
• Secure the backdoor
  Most burglars get in through a back door, so make sure this area is well secured.
  
  
• Use 'hard to break' laminated glass
  Glass door panels are vulnerable, so if you do have glass in your door, replace it with laminated glass which is harder to break.
  
  
• Patio doors can be particularly vulnerable. Get specialist advice on fitting locks. These types of doors require special locks fitted top and bottom unless they already have a multi-locking system.
  
  
• Check hinges
  Weak or poor quality hinges are a security hazard, just like weak or poor quality locks. For extra security fit hinge bolts, which are inexpensive and help reinforce the hinge side of the door against force.
  
  
• Choose 'anti-bump' or 'anti-snap' door cylinders
  Always buy door cylinders that resist 'bumping' or 'snapping', two of the most common methods of break-in.
  
  
• Fit locks to ALL downstairs or easily accessible windows
  Open windows are an invitation to burglars and fitting locks to all easily accessible windows is usually an insurance requirement.
  
  
• Secure gates and perimeter access - make sure you lock all gates or entries to the rear of your house and check for weak spots in perimeter access such as broken or weak fences or a weak padlock on a back gate. Fit security lights that come on at night to deter burglars and expose those otherwise dark areas. A spikey boundary hedge can also help deter crime.
  
  
• Hide and secure your valuables
  Keep keys and valuables in a safe place inside your home. Invest in a safe. Never leave valuables on display and keep car keys out of site and well away from your front door, letterbox or open windows. Consider padlocks and extra security for storage areas.
  
  
• Lock sheds and outbuildings. Never keep high value items inside sheds, and lock away ladders and tools that burglars may use to gain access to your home.
  
  
• Never leave a spare key in a convenient place - if it's convenient to you, it'll be convenient to a burglar too.
  
  
• If you've moved into a new home, consider changing locks. You don't know if security has been compromised at some point in the past. If you are renting, discuss this with your landlord or agent.
  
  
• Fit and use a burglar alarm. This may be a requirement of your insurance company.
  
  
• Insurance and mark your belongings - make sure you are well insured and remember that high value items may need to be insured separately or named specifically on your policy. Mark belongings visibly and permanently with your postcode and house number. Keep a list of your possessions and if possible photograph them. Keep a note of the make, model and serial number and keep any receipts. Give copies of the list and photographs to someone you trust.
  
  
• Going on holiday - if you are going away, don't make it obvious to strangers. If possible ask a neighbour to be vigilant in your absence. Try to make it look as though someone is at home, use timers to switch lights on at appropriate times. Don't close your curtains during the daytime, this shows the house is empty. Cancel milk and newspapers. Mow the lawn before you go. Letters and papers building up can give burglars a sign that you are away. In addition, Royal Mail offer a 'Keepsafe' service will hold on to your mail for up to two months while you are away. Make sure you don't announce holiday plans on social networking sites.

• Door cylinders
• Rim Combi^TM
• Cyberlock^®
• One key journey