HOME SECURITY

You will be amazed at the replacement costs of your household goods, that’s why a good contents home insurance policy is a good idea.
Simple measures including alarm systems, better locks and adequate lighting can deter potential thieves.
Alarms systems act as a good deterrent, and can be a psychological obstacle for potential thieves.
If you are on holiday, make sure that someone picks up your post and newspapers and cancel all milk deliveries.
Make your valuables easily identifiable by marking them in some unique way.

Securing Your Home
With the spate of local break-ins around the peninsula, it has made us more aware of how we secure our own homes and property. We are used to feeling safe in this corner of Ireland, and maybe we can be a bit lax about locking doors. It is wise to take security measures and protect your home as burglary can happen at anytime and during any season of the year. Securing your home from intruders can begin with some obvious yet often overlooked security measures. Doors and windows provide immediate access to your property but are not the only ways that your home might be unsafe. Simple measures including alarm systems, better locks and adequate lighting can deter potential thieves.

Windows and doors
Thieves are opportunistic and will be able to identify easily accessible properties. The first thing you should do is check your windows and door locks. If your windows are old, they may not be able to lock properly. You may want to consider investing in new replacement windows that lock securely. It is also a good idea to install windows with catches that prevent people from opening them more than a few inches. With new windows, you will also be able to enjoy the benefits of greater energy efficiency, which can save you a great deal of money.

Get connected
Alarms systems act as a good deterrent, and can be a psychological obstacle for potential thieves. It's a good idea to have an alarm that is actually connected to a security response unit so that the security firm or guards will respond to the signal and check that your property is secure.

Cancel the milk
There are other more obvious ways to make sure that your home is secure. Opportunistic thieves are always on the look out for properties that appear to be vacant. Your home should look occupied at all times even if it is not. If you are on holiday, make sure that someone picks up your post and newspapers and cancel all milk deliveries. These are obvious signs that the house is empty and an open invitation to thieves. You should also get a friend or neighbour to turn lights on and off while your away or alternatively install a lighting timer. It is also a good idea to leave a car in the driveway at all times.

In the garden
It’s not just the house that needs protecting. The garden is also a place for theives. Garden tools and features are expensive so they need securing. Try not to leave equipment out in the garden when you are not there to keep an eye on it. A badly maintained garden could also be an idicator of an empty house.

Here are some suggestions on ways to make your more secure:
Get a professional to install a burglar alarm.
Outdoor lighting with sensors can act as a good deterrent in that the light switches on when someone approaches your home. You should also have an outside light at the front and back door that enables you to identify callers in the dark.
Leave lights on in interior rooms. It is not enough to simply leave the landing lighting on as thieves will spot this. You can install a timer to switch lights on and off at specified time intervals to make it appear that there are people in the property. It’s also a good idea to leave the radio on.
Keep a car in the driveway when you are on holidays.
It is a good idea to fix a door chain to your front door.
Install strong locks on windows and doors. Multiple locking mechanisms are also a good idea from a security perspective. You may need to get some advice here in terms of breaches of fire regulations. While you want to keep intruders out, you still need to be able to get out of the building in the case of a fire.
Double glazing. Laminated glass is better than toughened because it stays in place when it’s smashed. The safest double glazing has bolts that shoot in to the frame for extra security.
Secure your patio doors. Patio doors are common point of access for intruders so make sure these are secure. .
Use of gravel on your driveway or pathways to your property can act as a deterrent to burglars. Always keep hedges and shrubbery well clipped as they can act as a hiding place.
Dogs act as a great deterrent. While security is not a good enough reason to get a dog, if you actually like dogs it is always an option.
Don’t leave any valuables such as cash or jewellery lying around or hidden in obvious places. Make sure they are securely stored
When you buy new appliances such as a flat screen TV, dispose of the packaging carefully. Don’t leave the box outside your house.
You should also give a spare key to a trusted neighbour rather than “hiding” it under the doormat or a potted plant in the garden. Never leave a spare key concealed anywhere near the front door - burglars know all the hiding places
Protecting your belongingsIf you were unfortunate enough to have had your property burgled in the past, you will be aware of the difficulties in identifying what has been stolen and then proving this. There are a few key ways to protect your belongings.
Make your valuables easily identifiable by marking them in some unique way.
Take photographs and make a record of all valuables and their corresponding unique markings. These should then be secured away with a friend or family member in a different property as you don't want the burglars stealing your records too. This is particularly important for valuables such as jewellery or collectables such as art pieces.

House Insurance
Don’t forget having your home insured does mean that if you are robbed then at least you will not be out of pocket. For peace of mind, make sure your insurance is up to date or if you don’t have insurance it is a good time to look into opening a policy. It’s amazing when you look around the house, just how expensive it would be to replace everything if it suddenly went missing…...