How to protect my home

When spring arrives, we often spring clean our home, but as summer ends and the nights get longer, we should autumn clean our home security! I’m not talking about just taking a feather duster to the window locks but rather making a fresh start with keeping our homes safe.

This is an excellent time to take stock, clear out the old, and face the new year with greater peace of mind, knowing that we’ve made our home safer.

Start with a review

When you start spring cleaning your home, you should take a step back and consider what needs to be done and where to start. An autumn/winter security check for your home is the same.

Start by taking a look at the measures you already have in place. Are they enough? Have your circumstances changed so that you consider upping security? Maybe by installing alarms. Have you kept up with new technology to foil attempted break-ins?

Think about all the points of entry (doors, windows, gates, garages, etc.) into your home and consider whether you have secured them all. Once you’ve identified where you need extra security, work on checking how efficient your current home security measures are. See if your local locksmith offers a free security audit for a professional assessment.

Check your locks

When we think of home security, the first thing we often think of is locks. Locks on external doors, locks on windows, locks on patio doors, locks on garages. Wherever you have locks, check them.

Checking your locks could save you money, as insurers may offer discounts if you install locks with higher security. You should be able to see a kitemark somewhere on the lock to confirm that it conforms to British Standards. If you’re still not sure, a locksmith will be able to help.

Reviewing British standard locks.

If your locks don’t meet these standards, you should consider upgrading. One of the most common forms of attack on modern external doors is lock snapping, as the lock is the weakest point, but it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to have anti-snap locks fitted. These don’t do what they say on the tin, they snap off, but they snap without exposing your lock’s internal mechanism, whereas a normal can be snapped, allowing the door to be opened very easily.

Even if your locks meet the recommended standards, you should check whether the keys are turning smoothly and that there’s no sticking. Difficulty locking or unlocking a door could indicate that your keys or lock needs replacing.

Don’t forget window locks. Make sure you know where the window lock keys are. Mainly if you generally keep them unlocked. There’s nothing worse than getting ready to go away over Christmas, for example, and being unable to lock your windows because you don’t know the keys.

Is there any weather damage?

Damp winters can cause doors and windows to swell and contract again in the spring. Acting before another winter makes things worse. This can lead to a poor fit between the door or window and the lock, compromising the lock’s security. A locksmith can help by refitting the locks in the door/frame.

Another problem could be with patio and French doors. Check that your patio doors aren’t sticking and sit correctly in the frames. Poorly fitted patio doors could provide a weak spot and a convenient entry point for a burglar.

Think about the garden and any security blind spots

During spring, we often take the opportunity to spend more time out in our gardens. However, we tend not to think about the garden when it’s dark and cold. Break-ins usually happen in secluded spots after dark, therefore it pays to spend some time out there checking the security on any sheds or gates, as well as the house’s exterior. People often forget about these, but you should pay the same attention to them as you do to your house.

Securing gates, in particular, can deter burglars from entering your property from the rear, which is often less visible to your neighbours and any passers-by and, therefore, less secure than the front of your home. Securing sheds should be a no-brainer, as the tools, bikes, and equipment are often precious.

If you’re a keen gardener, you’ll be looking forward to being able to get back out in the spring. If so, why not combine your love of gardening and your desire for improved security by planting thorny, prickly shrubs, which again can deter intruders?

Check any intruder alarms

If you have an intruder alarm, you should ensure a specialist alarm engineer regularly services it. Don’t wait for an attempted break-in to discover your system malfunctioning. Periodically checking your alarm will ensure that your home contents insurance remains valid.

Don’t forget cyber security

Once you’ve checked the physical security of your home and made sure it’s up to scratch, turn the attention of your security autumn clean onto your cyber security.

Ensure that you regularly change passwords and that everyone in your home is cybersecurity aware. Also, ensure you’re not using the same password for multiple accounts. If you struggle to remember lots of different passwords. Why not think about using a password manager?

These quick tips for spring cleaning your home security are just the start of the steps you take to make your home feel safe. In the same way, as you know that keeping your home tidy reduces the need for a massive clear-out every year, keeping on top of your home security measures will mean you’ll have less to do in the future.