Keeping your home safe
Here are some hints and tips to keep your holiday home
possessions and contents safe.
Doors and Windows
Make sure you close your windows and doors when you leave your
home or go to sleep at night.
Take some time to check out the locks you have in your home.
We recommend that the lock on the main door has a British
Standard 3621 mark. Otherwise, make sure it is a mortice deadlock
of at least five levers or any rim automatic deadlatch with a key
locking handle on the inside. You can find explanations about what
those locks look like in our jargon buster.
For any other external doors, they should either be to the above
standard, or have a lock and key operated security bolts fitted at
the top and bottom. For sliding patio doors, key operated patio
doors mounted internally on the centre rails are also adequate.
Opening windows on the ground floor, basement and accessible
upper floor windows should be fitted with key operated security
devices or shutters securely locked internally.
Bicycles
Lock your bicycles to an immovable object whenever you are not
riding them.
Alarms
If you have an alarm, make sure it is maintained, and on when
nobody is in the house.
Discourage burglars
Most burglars look for easy targets – so if they see an
opportunity they are more tempted to break in. To reduce your
chances of theft:
- Check around your house for security weak spots such as
concealed entrances, poor lighting or doors and windows that can be
opened from the outside.
- Lock away garden tools and ladders that could help a thief
break in, and lock sheds and garages too, especially if they adjoin
your home.
- Photograph any valuable items, and if possible security mark
them with your postcode and house number
- Never leave keys in a lock, or a ‘secret’ hiding place like
under the mat – burglars know them all!
- Trim garden hedges so that doors and windows can be seen and
no-one can hide.
- Always lock your shed or garage – especially if it has a
connecting door to your house.