Homeowners leave themselves vulnerable to a break-in
Homeowners aren't taking steps to protect their property and belongings by poorly concealing spare keys outside and failing to secure windows and doors, according to research from esure home insurance.
In fact, more than two fifths (42 per cent) of homeowners polled admit to leaving the house without locking their back door; a staggering 64 per cent have left their windows open when no-one was home whilst a third (34 per cent) have gone out without properly securing the front door.
Homeowners are also increasing the risk of burglary by hiding spare keys outside their property in case they misplace the originals or lock themselves out. Two fifths (39 per cent) of homeowners surveyed hide keys in their garden in case of such an emergency.
However, homeowners should choose their hiding places carefully because if they can't prove to their insurer that they took steps to properly conceal their keys - such as not choosing an obvious hiding place at the front of their house where they could easily have been spotted by an opportunistic thief - then a claim may not be paid out.
Top 10 most popular outside hiding places for keys
1 Under a plant pot
2 Under the door mat
3 Under a stone
4 In a flower pot
5 In the garden shed
6 Under a drain cover
7 On top of one of the car tyres
8 Buried in the flower bed
9 In an outside cupboard
10 Under a paving slab
A shocking seven per cent of those surveyed have actually been burgled by a thief who got into their house by using a hidden key. Also, nearly one in ten (8 per cent) homeowners questioned didn't even know how many sets of spare keys they have given to friends, family or hidden somewhere outside their property.
Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure home insurance, said: "Most burglars are looking for an easy target and leaving windows and doors unlocked is practically inviting them in. Homeowners should make sure their property is as secure as possible because if they can't prove to their insurer that they took steps to keep their home and contents safe - then a claim may not be paid out.
"Make sure you take the time to regularly review the security of your property and make sure you have adequate contents insurance in the event of a break-in."
esure has put together some simple steps for homeowners to take to try to prevent their property from being burgled:
Don't hide keys outside of your home - especially at the front of the house - in case you are spotted planting or retrieving them by an opportunistic thief.
Make sure that you fit a strong lock on the front door such as a 5-lever mortice deadlock or rimlock with the ‘British Standard 3621, kitemark'.
Keep windows closed and locked when your property is unoccupied.
Fit a clearly visible alarm box.
Have a working outdoor security light with a motion sensor at the front and rear of your home.
Trees should be planted at some distance from the house - so they can't be climbed and give access to an upper floor window.
Lock away useful tools and equipment that could help a burglar enter your home e.g. drills, hammers, ladders, wheel barrows.
Fit sheds and outbuildings with a good quality lock and position them close to your home.
Check fences for missing or loose planks and panels so as not to give thieves easy access to your property. Ideally use 6ft tall, sturdy wooden fencing with concrete posts.
Try to avoid littering your back yard with rocks, large pebbles and ornaments or garden lighting that may be used by a burglar as a missile to break a window - consider heavy pots.
Fit a sturdy back gate and keep it securely locked.
Consider a crunchy, gravel driveway that will generate noise when a vehicle or person approaches the house.
Plant tall, thorny plants to the rear of borders and close to fencing.
Check that your hedges are compact and make a good barrier, but make sure that they are not too high that they conceal the view. Some hedges may look green and healthy at the top but have holes and dead wood lower down which are easily crawled though.