In the lead up to Christmas it’s important to keep an extra close eye on the security of your home, here are our 24 Networks top 10 tips & tricks to keep your home extra protected this festive season.

Set your home alarm

Setting your home alarm seems like an obvious option if you have one, however over half of us leave our alarms disarmed! Engaging your house alarm when you leave, even for a small trip, could be the deterrent you need. 24 Networks & Security offer wireless intruder alarms if your home doesn’t have one or fix your current system if it isn’t working correctly. Intruder alarm systems are also a great visual discourage to put off any potential intruders which is why these are at the top of our list!

Keep valuables out of sight

The majority of break ins in the UK are from opportunist thieves who don’t go to a great deal of planning when breaking into a home, that’s why it’s important to keep any valuables out of sight.  We’re not telling to start moving the television around, however, keeping car keys & cash out of plain sight is something we very much recommend preventing it catching an opportunistic burglar’s eye.

“Key is under the mat”

As tempting as it may seem, leaving your key under the mat is never a good idea. Storing a key outside the property can be safe with something like a key lock box that attaches to the wall. If you have no other option but to store a key outside for a couple of hours then consider leaving it with a trusted neighbour or at a last resort, think of somewhere a tad more inventive than under the front door mat!

British Standard Locks

Make sure that the locks that you have on your home all adhere to British Standards (BS3621), not only does this ensure that the locks that you have on your home are a good quality it also ensures that you’ll be covered by your insurance in the event of a break in as most insurance companies won’t pay out if you don’t have BSA locks installed.

 Invest in CCTV

CCTV is a great investment to keep your home & family protected, allowing you to monitor a live feed of your home from anywhere in the world & be alerted to any unusual activity it really is a fantastic addition to the security of any property; matched with an intruder alarm the pair are the ultimate combination.  Here at 24 Networks & Security adding CCTV to your property doesn’t always have to be an expensive upgrade, with multiple options on cameras & systems you can tailor a system to fit your budget.

Keep your keys away from your door.

Although the most convenient place for you to keep your keys is next to the door, it’s also the most convenient place for a potential intruder to clasp onto them. Thieves like to use a technique known as “fishing”, while similar to the traditional meaning, instead of catching fish they’re in it for keys & any other valuables that they can hook onto through your letterbox.

Don’t make it obvious you’re not home

If you’re going away this festive season, then try to get a neighbour or friend that lives close by to open and close your curtains, so it looks like you’re home. If that option isn’t available, keeping a lamp on a plug timer is a good way to give the illusion that there’s someone in. As much as you may want to, we’d recommend that you wait until your home to put any pictures on social media if you’re going away & your home is unoccupied as thieves may see this as an opportunity.

Security lighting

Security lighting is a cheap and effective deterrent, as these are motion activated anyone who is on the premises after a set time will activate the light which would startle any intruder & potentially alert the homeowner depending on the location of the lighting. 24 Networks & Security have a range of security lighting options available that can be set up to meet your requirements.

 Use quality padlocks

If you have sheds & outbuildings that are secured by a padlock, you must make ensure that these padlocks are up to scratch. We recommend combination padlocks as these cannot be picked & don’t require you to carry round a key, but don’t get the cheapest, spending the extra £5 on a quality lock could make the difference on whether a potential intruder gains access.

Know your neighbours

If you live in a residential area then this is one of our most important tips, having eyes and ears in the surrounding homes is a fantastic way of keeping safe both your home and neighbouring homes safe. Exchanging numbers with neighbours in the event of your alarm going off or if they spot anything suspicious is extremely useful, joining your local resident’s social media pages can also be very handy to keep an eye on anything occurring in the local area to be aware of.

There are our top 10 tips to keep your home safe this Christmas! We hope that these tips come in useful; if you require any further information on the solutions that 24 Networks & Security can offer then contact us here.