Secure your home and keep green-fingered thieves at bay

Whether you’re planning to travel abroad for a sunshine holiday, or enjoy the peace and quiet of your garden this summer, it’s crucial to make sure your home security is the best it can be to keep those burglars at bay.

When it comes to the summertime, you may think there are more important things to think about other than home security, but in reality, protecting your home from domestic burglaries should be one of the top features on your list at this time of year.

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With recent statistics highlighting that 16% of homeowners don’t bother to lock their doors and windows when they leave the house, and a staggering 70% revealing they don’t have a burglar alarm, it appears that UK homeowners can be quite careless when it comes to home security, and are therefore putting themselves at risk of being targeted by intruders.

With this in mind, the security experts at Yale have shared their top tips to keep your homes and outbuildings secure at this time of year.

Keep those windows and doors shut!We can all be guilty of opening our windows and doors wide on a hot summer’s day, but this is unfortunately one of the easiest ways for domestic burglars to get hold of your valuables. All they need is to grab your front door key and they could have access to your car, home and ultimately all your well-deserved belongings.

With one in three burglars entering a property through an open window**, we would suggest shutting and locking them when you leave the room, making sure they have at least one appropriate, key-operated lock. Don’t forget to also lock them at night – this is when burglars think it’s safe to strike.

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Upgrade your security standardsAn important step that should be a priority when upgrading your home security is to ensure that external timber doors are secured with a mortice lock and/or nightlatch, and these must meet with British Standard BS3621. Similarly, if you have a PVCu or composite door, you could also consider upgrading to a British Standard TS007 Kitemarked model.

Use your head, protect the shedIt’s not only your home that is at risk during the summer months, it’s also your sheds and outbuildings that can be targeted at this time of year. According to recent statistics, 1 in 7 homes a year experience a theft from the garden in the UK, and with the average shed said to contain contents around the value of £2000****, you can see why burglars are targeting this valuable area.

As sheds are supplied with minimal or no door security, we would recommend fitting a maximum strength padlock (rating 7-10) as they can withstand the great British weather, and protect against burglar attacks. We would also advise using anchors and cables to secure expensive items within your outbuildings such as bike wheels and lawnmower handles, as this will provide an added level of protection against any intruders.

Snakes and laddersAlongside securing your shed and its contents, we would also recommend keeping all your outdoor tools locked away in your shed or garage as these can be beneficial for a burglar trying to gain access. Statistics have revealed that in 37% of outdoor thefts cases, burglars took tools and work materials***, which shows how burglars are using these types of tools to help with their attack strategy.

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We advise keeping ladders and all heavy-duty equipment out of reach, as this will not only keep you from having to pay out to replace them, but it will also help prevent the theft of other valuable items from your home and outbuildings.

For more home security tips and advice, and the opportunity to view the full range of Yale home security solutions, visit www.yale.co.uk.

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