
Protect your property and you can cut down the risk of feeling that your home has been violated by a nasty and unpleasant stranger.
Celebrity Victims

A lorra hassle

And don't forget Cilla Black. Burglars broke into her home, beat up her son and made off with £1m worth of jewellery.
Bad enough, but then when Cilla claimed against her insurance the company refused to pay out because she didn't have the right locks on her windows. That is £1m in compensation refused for the sake of locks that would have cost around £10.
Keys

Doors

Doorframes & double doors

The doorframe can be the weakest part of the door if it is weak or rotten - so check that and repair or replace as necessary. Hinge bolts might be worth considering to strengthen that side of the door.
Double doors should have bolts (preferably security bolts with removable keys) at the top and bottom of both doors as well as a lock.
Patio doors

Windows

Callers

Going Out

A burglar can be in and out of your home in two minutes. So always shut and lock all windows - however short a time you are going to be away.
One of the growing areas of crime is in garden crime so don't forget garages and sheds - they contain valuable items and tools useful to a burglar. Chain and padlock ladders, or keep them in locked sheds or garages.
Holidays

Cancel the milk and newspapers. Ask a neighbour or friend to keep an eye on your home, taking in any packages and making sure all mail is properly pushed through your letterbox and perhaps opening and closing curtains.
Property Marking

List your valuable items with serial numbers and a short description. Take photographs or videos of items such as jewellery and keep them with your policy. You will have a better chance of getting your property back after a burglary. It will also help with the completion of any insurance claims.
Use a property marking kit by putting your postcode and the number of your house on all appropriate items. This will help the police to return your property to you. Your local Crime Prevention Officer will advise you.
Alarms

Many insurance companies insist that the installation of alarms is carried out by companies registered with the National Approval Council for Security Systems (Queensgate House, 14 Cookham Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 8AJ). So check with your insurance company before installing an alarm.
Most alarms only warn that someone has already broken in. Your priority is to stop them getting in at all.
And finally

Make sure that you are properly insured if the worst happens.
Beware - if you are underinsured your insurance company may scale down the size of your payout. For example, if the contents of your house are worth £30,000 but you have only insured them for £20,000 you might only receive two-thirds of what you claim for.
Get a quote for home and contents insurance online now.













