Keeping your home safe when the clocks go back.
Whether it is the pumpkin picking, dressing your home in Halloween festiveness or watching the trees turn from green to autumn brown and red that’s your favourite thing about October, the extra hour some of us get in bed is a bitter-sweet thing in October.
With clocks going back it means darker nights are drawing in, and those colder, frosty days are almost upon us. Sadly, with darker nights comes an unfortunate reality, increased break-ins. Darker mornings and evenings provide burglars with more opportunities to act unnoticed. Therefore, we have created this list of measures we can take to ensure that our homes are increasingly more difficult for burglars to attack.
Door Security
Recent studies show that over 75% of all domestic break-ins are through a door with either an attacker forcing entry through the door lock or simply just walking in through the door being left open. This study shows the importance of making your door secure.
If you’ve got a composite or uPVC door and have got a basic euro cylinder installed, a burglar could potentially snap this within seconds to gain entry to your property. If you do have this style of front door, you could easily upgrade your home security in just a few minutes. For the highest security front door lock, you will want to upgrade to a KM 3* and Sold Secure Diamond approved cylinder, such as the APECS AP Euro Cylinder. The security ratings our cylinder has achieved means it has been attack tested rigorously by the British Standards Institute and Sold Secure (A Master Locksmith Approved Independent Testing Organisation).
If you have a wooden door with a mortice lock, there is also an APECS solution for you. Our APECS LX5 is a retrofit deadlock that has been tested and rated to a British Standard BS3621. If you don’t have a BS3621 certified-lock installed on your door, you could well be unable to sign up for home insurance, or unable to claim if you have wrongly stated that you have an insurance-approved lock.
Always make sure your front door is locked. Whether you are popping to the shop or nipping around your neighbours for a cuppa, around this time of year those few minutes the door is unlocked could have a massive impact.
Garden Security
If your home has a garden, in the darkness of night – it is an easy place to hide. Making sure your garden is secure is very important. There are several things you can do to make sure your garden is safe:
- Outdoor Security Lighting with Motion Sensors – shining off a bright light when triggered, causing burglars to be startled and making them likely to retreat.
- Security Cameras – a deterrent as soon as they are spotted, security cameras could easily be enough to scare burglars off. However, if they don’t do that – they will give you incriminating footage if you were ever to need it.
- Wheelie Bin Storage – If you store your wheelie bin outside your home, ensure you position them away from flat roofed areas or fences. Your wheelie bin could give burglars easy access to your home.
- Gates – Whether it’s a side gate or a rear gate, it is best to secure them, with a high-security, weatherproof padlock. Make it harder for burglars to gain access.
Here are some of our top tips to keep your home safe during darker nights:
Throughout the darker nights period, it is a great idea to set yourself good practices to ensure your home is safe:
- Ensure your doors and windows are fully locked, whether you are nipping to the shops or walking around the block with the dog.
- Don’t give the burglars a hand – make sure any equipment that could aid a burglar is safely stored away.
- Take any large or high-value item packaging is taken to the tip, don’t leave it outside and show the burglars the gadgets you have in your home.
- Make sure your home looks like someone lives there. If you are going on holiday here are some things you can do to make it look like you are home; ask your neighbours to go around and open the blinds/curtains, use timed switches and proximity sensors to turn your lights on, don’t leave your high-value gadgets out on display and don’t post over social media that you are away.
- Alarm your home and don’t forget to arm it when you leave the house.
- If you feel like there is an emergency, ensure you call 999. It is important to make police aware of suspicious behaviour.
