Despite a dramatic rise in the level of home break-ins, nearly one in three homeowners (30%) don’t take basic steps to protect their homes. That’s the bottom line of a survey sponsored by Nationwide Insurance of more than 1,000 policyholders coast-to-coast who carry Homeowners or Condo insurance.
“We conducted this survey to identify common behaviors that could expose home and personal property to thieves,” says Pete Lore, Nationwide’ Associate Vice President of Property Technical Claims. “What we found was that homeowners can, and should, do more to protect their belongings.”
To help keep your home safe from thieves – and, in some cases, benefit from significant premium discounts – we’d recommend that you:
- Put deadbolts on doors and always lock them (nearly one third of all thieves enter homes through front doors, which are often unlocked, according to National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association).
- Make sure that doors and windows (on all levels) are locked.
- Install a home security system and keep it on 24-7 (one in five respondents to the Nationwide survey turned off their systems during the day – even though that’s when home burglars are busiest).
- Have motion-detection lights on the outside of your property.
- Do not hide a spare key outside the home – burglars know the most common hiding places.
If you’re going on vacation, tell police or the neighborhood watch about trip plans and ask them to drive by your house to see if it’s secure. While you’re away, put newspaper and mail delivery on hold or have someone pick them up for you. Keep quiet online about your travel plans; bad guys often use social media to target people who are out of town.
For a comprehensive complimentary, review of your home security needs, just give us a call at any time.
