This weekend (25 October), the clocks go back by one hour and with that also comes the darker nights.
With this in mind, it’s probably a good time to beef up your home security as generally speaking, burglaries rise in the winter months.
So with National Home Security Week (19-25 October) now underway, there’s no better time to make sure your home is completely secure.
In fact, it is also fast approaching the time when home insurance claims for malicious damage are at their highest.(See Confused.com’s top tips to protecting your valuables.)
Worst week of the year for malicious damage
According to insurance provider Axa, the week of 30 October to 5 November is the worst week of the year for malicious damage claims on home insurance policies with these claims increasing 350 per cent on 5 November compared with an average day. Claims also spike on 31 October with the number of claims rising 270 per cent on that day in particular.
And generally, the Axa statistics show that Saturdays are the worst day of the week for malicious damage claims, prompting fears that this Halloween, which falls on a Saturday, will be a particularly bad year for homeowners.
Probably not a bad time then to ensure you have appropriate home insurance cover in place and tighten up on your home security.
According to Darren Black, head of household insurance at Confused.com, you should first make sure you have a good basic level of security in place.
He said: “Having an alarm system and actually switching it on is crucial. You’d be surprised how many people do not ever use their alarm system or remember to lock their doors and windows.”
Five ways to boost your home security
1: Consider investing in outdoor lighting as this gives burglars less places to hide.
2: Always lock your windows and doors even if you are in your home as burglars will not necessarily be put off by the fact the property is occupied.
3: Don’t leave keys near the door or somewhere that is easily accessible via the letterbox, as a burglar could easily reach through to grab them.
4: Use what security you already have, so if you have an alarm system switch it on.
5: Don’t hide spare keys outside as burglars know all the hiding places so if you want to leave a spare key, give it to a trusted friend or neighbour.
You can find more tips on tightening up your home security in Confused.com’s home insurance buyer’s guide.
