Moving home this Winter? Secure up!
When the clocks going back on the 26th October, the criminals come out, with statistics showing a 20% increase in home burglaries during the darker months.
The long nights and dark streets mean that houses are easy targets for burglaries – especially if your security is not up to scratch. But fear not, here are some top tips to you and your property safe.
Moving in to a new house?
The coming months have some of the highest peaks for burglaries in the year. The 5th November (Bonfire Night) has the highest reported number of burglaries in one single night. All of those noisy fireworks and the assumption that you and your family will be out celebrating means that your new lovely house can be an easy target.
So, what can you do?
Change your locks and use an anti-snap and anti-bump cylinder; install an alarm; install a CCTV system. These are just a few ways that you can quickly protect your new home – and it won’t be as expensive as you think!
Have a house left empty?
Make sure that you secure the house with an alarm. Statistically, having an alarm makes you 2-3 times less likely* to be burgled. Many alarms are DIY-friendly and easy to install, so it’s a no-brainer for a quick fix.
Empty houses are targeted by thieves for variety of reasons. As well as security devices, make sure your home looks like you are still there with simple and effective tricks. Try putting lights on timers, keep a few curtains ajar and use a radio on a timer or alarm to create audio noise.
Yale’s Dark Nights campaign is designed to create awareness of home security and to encourage people to lock up their homes in time for the dark nights. Check out the infographic below for more stats on what to look out for over the winter months:
