What to do first for Home Security

It’s been extremely busy on the website over the past couple of weeks as people plan their home security improvements this spring.

The most visited pages on the Crime Prevention Website have been those that concern the garden, with fences, defensive plants, sheds and outbuildings being the main focus at the moment. Lots of people are also looking at what they can do to improve their outside lighting and how to upgrade their door locks.

The increase in the number of Home Security Surveys being completed at the moment also indicate a healthy interest in the overall security of the property and is actually a great way to begin looking at home security if you don’t know what to do first.

If you’re one of those people with lots to do (perhaps you’ve just moved in) then here’s my suggested priority list. It won’t suit everyone, because it depends on precisely what you’ve got to do, but it’s worth a read

• Make sure you’re complying with everything that your insurers have demanded. This is a very important aspect as certain security measures will be a condition of your insurance cover
• Do those 'no' or 'low cost' items, such as locking tools away, marking your property, closing and locking the doors and windows properly, not displaying the contents of your home to the street by using your blinds and nets etc.
• If you have outside lights, clean the light fittings and change the lamps where necessary
• Do what you can to make your place look occupied when it's not, such as buying some timers or 'dusk to dawn' sensors for your lights and following the Holiday Checklist should you be away for a few days. Think about getting one of those ‘Fake TVs’ to add to your arsenal of ‘I’m at home’ tricks
• Look at the things you can do to reduce access to the more vulnerable parts of your dwelling, such as improving the fences or maybe erecting a gate to the front of the side drive.
• Check that the garden is free of tools and other things that could be used to force open a door or window. Lock these things away in a secure shed or other outbuilding – securing these outbuildings is therefore an extremely important security measure
• Do consider purchasing an intruder alarm, which the British Crime Survey (Now the Crime Survey for England and Wales) strongly suggests is an effective deterrent. Make sure your list of keyholders is up-to-date
• If you're thinking about replacing your doors and windows, do get ones that are certificated to the enhanced security standards (e.g. PAS 24)
• Treat yourself to an insurance rated and correctly installed safe, which can also be fire resistant. A safe can be used to properly secure all manner of things, such as passports, birth and marriage certificates, house deeds, cash and jewellery  
• If you’ve already completed our on-line Home Security Survey and have carried out some of the recommendations carry out another survey to see how your risk assessment score has changed

And finally...do encourage your family, friends and neighbours to check their own security arrangements, because you know it makes sense.