It’s National Home Security Month, Is Your Home Safe?

The clocks are due to go back an hour in just over a week’s time which will be music to the ear of thieves.
Fewer daylight hours gives them added incentive to make attempts to break into people’s homes, so you need to make sure you’re not their next casualty of theft.

To highlight the importance of keeping your property secure as we inch closer towards those long nights, this month marks National Home Security Month (NHSM).

DID YOU KNOW?

Research conducted by the NHSM found that 25% of British householders admit to having no home security.

People may have got away with leaving their windows and doors open back in the old days, but unfortunately times have changed.

You can frustrate thieves in any effort they make to gain unauthorised access to your private living space by taking the following steps:

Fit the latest windows and doors

Your existing windows and doors may not provide the level of security that they once did. It’s common for window and doors to weaken as they age, even when they’re securely fastened.

Contemporary windows and doors come fitted with a number of secure mechanisms that are virtually impossible to break. They also have very resilient frames and the glass within them is normally internally glazed so that it cannot be removed from the outside.

If you have any outbuildings (shed, summer house) you should also check that the current locks on any windows and doors are still in full working order.

Get some spare keys cut, don’t leave them out!

There may be times when you need a trusted friend or neighbour to have access to your home, but never be tempted to leave a spare key for them under the door mat or somewhere else in close proximity to your door.

Thieves will automatically scout out such places to see if a key has been left out before they try to force their way in via other means. If it’s uncovered that your home was broken into due to you leaving out a key, your insurers won’t be impressed and more importantly, won’t pay out for any money losses.

Cut keys for the people you trust the most and ensure that they keep that key securely stored away.

Install an alarm

Every home should have an alarm system in place. Some take the cheaper option and fit a dummy alarm system, but thieves aren’t dummies! 9 times out of 10 they will recognise a ‘fake’ alarm and proceed with their efforts to rob you of your most treasured belongings.

Invest in the real deal and choose between one of these two types of alarm systems:

• Bells-only
• Monitored

A bells-alarm will trigger any attack on your home and ring for 20 minutes. After that it will flash until the alarm has been properly switched off.

When a monitored alarm detects a threat to your residence you receive a notification from an external security company. If they’re unsuccessful getting hold of you, they will instead contact a nominated key holder and / or contact the Police.

Everything supplied by Mitchell Glass is designed with security in mind. Your home will be much better equipped to deal with the continual threat posed by thieves once you have any of our home improvements integrated into it. Get a FREE quote for your desired product now.