As the new year is about to arrive, I want to make sure that Powder Rooms becomes more of an overall informative advice hub – not just solely focusing on fashion and beauty, or the best places to dine out.
Today’s advice piece is about keeping your home safe and secure. I used to live on my own as a girl in my late twenties, and one of the constant worries I had was what if my home got burgled – both with me in it or out of it? Either option is both horrific to think about.
I can imagine that being burgled is a nightmare. It’s distressing and it’s disruptive, and for many victims, it can be a struggle to get over the feeling that their home has been violated.
Of course, home insurance is there to replace anything that is stolen or damaged, but even if you have the best policy in the world, it can never compensate for the loss of items of sentimental value, whether they are family heirlooms, photo albums or treasured mementos.
It can even span as far as someone entering your home, swiping your car keys from your front porch, and driving away in your car.
That’s why prevention is better than cure. I tried to have as much security in place as possible, from buying the hardware for locks and even making sure the doors I chose were the most secure. You can check out tradefit.uk if you need to look at purchasing door security hardware yourself too.
And, if anyone else out there is looking for tips around home security, using a locksmith, and even security within retail or office spaces, here’s seven ways to boost your security and keep the thieves, trouble, or unwanted hassle away…
Always lock doors and windows
Keep doors and windows locked when you’re out – even if you’re just popping next door for a few minutes. Many burglaries are opportunistic, so don’t make it easy for them. Keep spare keys with a trusted friend, or rely on a newcastle locksmith to help you if you are locked out of the house. Never keep keys under the doormat or in the flowerpot. A spokesperson for a leading Newcastle Locksmith says “The Association of British Insurers (ABI) guidelines require all final exit doors to be fitted with 5-lever mortice locks (or equivalent) conforming to BS 3621 and marked with the BS kitemark”
If you have any dodgy locks on any of your doors and windows, try not to ignore this and make calling out an expert locksmith a priority. There will always be local locksmiths, many available 24/7. So pop it into your search engine, write something like “locksmith Grand Junction Colorado near me” to find one professional that is close to you.
Another one is to keep keys out of sight, and this goes for car keys in the home too. You don’t want a burglar being able to reach any keys through a letterbox or cat-flap or by breaking a window.
Although some people feel the need to do this, especially when on holiday and someone may be visiting to feed your pets, don’t hide a spare key under the doormat or a plant pot. It really is the first place where a thief would look.
Consider a Neighbourhood Watch
These schemes can deter burglars from operating in a certain area simply by the fact they exist. If a burglar can see your part of the scheme, it can prevent them approaching your home. They know that neighbours are keeping an eye open for each other. If there’s no scheme in your area, consider setting one up – contact your local police station, they’ll be happy to advise.
Look for professional security
Hire a commercial locksmith with certification to completely secure your area. This one is more important for those who have large houses, their own offices, business space or retail units. If you own or rent properties that hold expensive items, act as your work location, or contain valuables or even top secret items associated with work, then your security needs stepping up a level.
For items that are truly irreplaceable or hold significant monetary and sentimental value, relying solely on general home security measures might not be sufficient. Investing in specialized, high-security storage solutions offers an unparalleled layer of protection against various threats. Beyond deterring theft, these advanced units are engineered to withstand extreme conditions, providing crucial defense against unforeseen disasters like fire. For comprehensive protection, considering the information in this Fire Protection: Safeguard Your Valuables guide is essential, as many valuable assets are vulnerable to both theft and fire. Such dedicated storage ensures peace of mind, knowing your most cherished possessions are secured against a wide range of potential dangers.
Many people choose to build a dedicated safe room or reinforced closet to keep their most important items in one place. This setup requires a heavy-duty entrance that can resist forced entry and extreme heat. High-quality Vault Doors provide this level of security for residential homes. These doors have thick steel frames and fireproofing materials to protect against both thieves and house fires. Having a professional install the door ensures it fits perfectly and functions as intended. It is a practical way to turn a standard room into a secure area for your family and assets.
Have an alarm fitted
Many home insurance policies will give you a discount on your premium if you fit a burglar alarm. Some devices can even transmit pictures from your property to your internet device. Having an alarm fitted is the most sensible option and most people’s first step they make.
Make sure you don’t write down the code anywhere or share it with anyone other than yourself. If you were to unfortunately get broken into and didn’t set your alarm, even though you have one fitted, you’ll suffer consequences with your insurance.
Don’t ‘show off’ any valuables
If you own nice things, it’s obviously lovely to want to show them off, but this can attract thieves and make you a target. Burglars are more likely to go for the house in which they can see a large flatscreen TV mounted to the wall, home entertainment systems and a Mercedes parked on the drive than one where nothing is visible!
I adore my Audi A1 but sometimes I’ll park it at my parents or at my boyfriend’s parents when we go away for the weekend.
Although you can’t do much about parking a nice car on the drive or outside your house, you can keep valuables away from view if you can. Don’t leave car keys where they can be ‘fished’ through the letterbox.
Don’t broadcast your absence
Social media has a lot to blame these days for home attacked, so the simple thing is to not tell the world that your home will be empty. Yes, posting an image of yourself on the beach might look cool, but you’re effectively telling everyone your house is currently unoccupied. Just think carefully before doing so.
It’s also a good idea that while you’re away, ask a friend or neighbour to tidy leaflets and junk away from your letterbox.
There may even be people reading this who are of a celebrity status – or in the public eye – who indeed can run into trouble if they advertise their whereabouts on social media. Depending on the type of person or job, perhaps the public are kept informed of where you are, and you can be prone to attracting people to your property, place of work, or simply just whereever you are. If this is the case, it could be advised to look into further security like close protection London.
This ensures you have close protection security officers with you during times that make you more vulnerable, and can give you complete ease of mind.
Record what you’ve got
Take photos of your valuables so it’s easier to claim on your insurance. Another good tip is to use special marker pens to put your house number and postcode onto valuable items, so that they can be identified and traced back to you if recovered. This is especially good for laptops, TV’s, tablets and entertainment systems.
Remember to be sensible and do your very best to make sure your home isn’t a target for burglars this year.
Leave a Reply