As the nights are drawing in and we occupy ourselves with the wintery joys of hot chocolate and cosy evenings, it is easy to forget that it is during these wintery months when burglaries are most rife. Lloyds Bank noted that there are 35% more claims for forced burglary during the darker months of the year, with criminals emboldened by the shorter days. Follow our helpful hints and tips to ensure that you can enjoy the winter months without any other worries apart from who has turned up that thermostat!
Doors
Did you know that over a third of burglars use the front door? It seems like such a simple fix, but this winter remember to secure your doors to ensure that you don’t have any unwelcome guests. Inspect all your exterior doors to ensure that the frames are strong and in good condition and don’t forget to check the hinges as well. If your door has a mailbox, then ensure that nobody can reach through by installing a mailbox protector.
Windows
As well as doors being popular entry points for burglars, windows are also amongst the most common entry points for break-ins. It’s unlikely that you will be leaving your windows open with the temperatures currently plummeting, however the latches on your windows can prove to be ineffective if put under stress. To stay safe this winter and beyond, you can improve the security credentials of your windows by adding locks or key operated levers which will prove to be much sturdier than the original fixings.
Lights
There is a clear relationship between the darker nights and higher incidence of burglaries – and that is due to the cover which the dark of the winter months provides to would-be criminals. Illuminate your home using outdoor lights in order to make your home a less appealing option to potential security risks; lights on pathways and in gardens will eliminate those darker areas. The use of motion lights is becoming more and more popular, with the element of surprise of a light turning on proving to be an effective deterrent.
Wi-Fi
When considering your home’s security, you would be forgiven for only protecting the bricks and mortar, however a key consideration in these modern times should be your wi-fi network. Your home wi-fi is a potential pathway for intruders in to your personal and financial information, and with the ever-increasing popularity of home automation apps can also make your home vulnerable to break-ins. To protect your wireless network, ensure that you are using a secure router and that you have enabled WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) or WPA2 encryption – as well as the usual staples such as a strong password and firewall protections.
Neighbours
Life these days is extremely fast-paced and British sensibilities often drive us to simply say a polite “good morning” and “good evening” to our neighbours, with little more conversation shared. These seemingly inconsequential conversations could also be used to improve your home security, however, as well as fostering better relationships with those living next to us. Use those early-morning interactions with your neighbours to discuss holidays and upcoming plans, so that they will be aware if there is something untoward happening at your home. Neighbours can also move parcels or letters left on your doorstep so that potential burglars won’t be made aware of your absence.
