Guide to aid preventing a break-in
House protection is a topic that is relevant to us all. Your home is a sanctuary and it’s important to keep your home contents and your loved ones safe from harm. To help you do just this, here at AA home insurance, guided by our experience of providing house insurance in Ireland since the 1970’s, we’ve put together the following tips:
Develop a routine
Far too often it’s through an unopened door or window that a burglar gains access to a victim’s house. Our first tip in our house protection guide, is to develop a routine of locking all your windows and doors before you leave the house or turn in for the night. And of course, make sure your house alarm is switched on. Most home insurance companies offer discounted household insurance for the added house protection a house alarm affords, however the alarm must be turned on when the household goes to bed or there is no one home, otherwise your house insurance claim may be affected in the event of a burglary.
Spare House Keys: your house protection
Your house protection requires you to be strict when it comes to your spare house keys. As home insurance providers we’ve seen some households go to great lengths to ensure house protection. They might agonise over which home insurance provider or level of home contents insurance to choose, have a monitored household alarm fitted and have state of the art locks fitted to their home’s doors yet leave their house keys somewhere as obvious as under the door mat or in the plant pot! No matter how forgetful your teenagers, other half or housemates are, never hide your household keys somewhere that would be burglars can easily get their hands on them. In the event that your house keys are stolen, at AA Home Insurance we’ll pay to cover the cost of replacing your door locks.
Sturdy Outer Doors
From a home protection point of view sturdy doors are a must - make sure your house is fitted with sturdy outer doors. The exterior doors to your home should be made of solid wood or metal a minimum of an inch thick. Your door frames should be equally as strong as the doors and should fit the door correctly.
Locks
Fit a deadbolt lock to your home’s main exterior doors. As a pick resistant lock, a deadbolt lock should be pick resistant making it impossible for any would be burglars to gain access to your home without the key.
Home Alarms
Home Alarms are essential to your house protection to tip fit a home alarm. It’s well worth fitting an alarm to your home if you can afford one. They vary widely in type and expense but as mentioned more than likely some of this expense can be offset against the cheap home insurance premiums you can secure depending on which home insurance provider you’re insured with. Before you buy a new alarm you should consult your existing home insurance provider to find out which alarms will secure a discount on your home insurance.
Give the impression someone is home
When no one is home, it’s worth considering leaving a light or radio on the go.
When going on holidays
And lastly, make provisions for when you’re away from home. When you go on holidays you should remember to cancel your regular deliveries such as milk and newspapers. Ask your neighbour to collect any post you receive that would otherwise serve as a advert that no one is home. And of course turn on your house alarm; this is especially important from a home insurance perspective.