Now the clocks have changed and the nights are drawing in we thought it would be a good idea to offer some helpful hints on keeping your home safe for winter.
The key thing to remember is that burglars are lazy and generally looking for opportunities, so don’t give them the chance! We have put together some simple tips for you, but if you have any suggestions as to how we can help to make your home safer just drop us a line. We are always happy to put forward any suggestions to either the landlord or the block managing agents for you if it is more of a building issue.
So what steps can you take to keep thieves at bay? Here are a few key ways to protect your home:
Keys
Make sure that you don’t hide them in a safe place, under a door mat or flower pot is not safe really is it.
Likewise don’t leave them where they can be seen or easily reached by putting an arm through a broken window.
Make sure that all locks are locked, including windows and mortice locks, which are much safer than a standard yale
Lock the door no matter how quick you think you will be, remember its all about opportunity with thieves
Alarm
Particularly advisable for basement or garden flats – its just creating another obstacle for would be burglars
Draw your curtains!
Don’t advertise your lovely ipads, TVS and laptops, if they can’t be seen, again it creates another hurdle
Lighting
The OH is a particular fan of time switch lights, which we use when we go away, as its just slightly more believable (and infinitely cheaper than leaving lights on for a week when you go away for Christmas)! Perhaps also consider linking it to a radio, as noise is a rather good deterrent as well.
Security lighting is also invaluable, its not just for lighting up the way when coming back in the dark but thieves don’t like the dark very much either!
Cancel the papers/milk etc etc, if going away for a longer period of time, consider getting someone to collect your post for you
Keeping valuables safe
Consider having a safe where you can keep valuables such as jewelry
Beware social media!
Although you may be super excitied about leaving blighty for sunnier climes, best not to advertise it all over the web as well as your address. Police are warning us (and perhaps the younger generation) about excercising caution before advertising your latest exotic adventures on the internet!
Its not just thinking about crime prevention, we would also like to give you some helpful tips on looking after your home over the winter period, particularly if you are going way
So what can you do to keep your home safe? Here are a few tips:
Beware frost: Even if you are going away on holiday, it’s important to leave the heating on low to stop your pipes freezing up in a cold snap. You can set the radiatiors to the * setting
Check your tiles: If you have cracked or broken tiles on your roof, these could fly off in high winds and damage your property – or someone else’s.
Clear drains: Before the winter really sets in, make sure your drains and guttering are free of leaves.
Tidy the garden: Don’t leave loose items like garden furniture and plant pots outside. In high winds, these could blow around and break, or even damage your property.
And last but not least, remember to make sure that you have insurance, as you may think that living in a fourth floor apartment in a modern block renders you exempt from having items stolen or damaged, whoever, we have some horror stories of burst water tanks and Christmas presents being ruined, which would have you running for the hills, so please remember to get insurance for your own items (and possible protection against accidental damage of the landlords items, as this could protect your deposit)