Your home is your stronghold and we all know there’s no worse feeling than having it breached. However, keeping your home safe and secure doesn’t always require expensive measures such as ‘Pentagon-level’ security systems. Follow AIB Home Insurance’s quick guide below and discover ten simple steps you can take to make your house safer and more secure today.

1. A burglar always goes for a house that appears simple to break into, so if your home looks difficult to enter the chance of them targeting your house is lowered.

2. Don’t leave spare house keys outside. Chances are a burglar has researched the likely places people place their spare house keys; so under the doormat or flowerpot or indeed inside your letter box, should be avoided!

3. Secure your back door. Burglars generally prefer entering at the back since they’re less likely to be seen. To secure your sliding door ideally fit it with an anti-lift device and fit your patio doors with mortise bolts. A high quality padlock is a must for your back gate.

4. Fit all your accessible windows with key operated locks and make sure to lock them when you’re out. It is important to be aware that the space a criminal needs to break into your home is just a bit larger than their head!

5. Store your ladders in the shed and lock them to something solid. It’s also important to keep in mind that your wheelie bins are just the right height for a burglar to stand on and reach a window. Therefore, make sure to also secure these to a wall or fence away from your house where possible.

6. Look at fitting a visible and sturdy additional lock on the front door. The likelygood of a door with just one lock being able to tolerate an attack from a criminal is slim. Therefore we would recommended fitting a five or seven lever mortise deadlock that is sunk into the door frame. 

7. In the front door, fit a spy hole and door chain as sometimes burglars will knock to check if you’re home.

8. If you fit blinds on your windows, you could discourage snooping and don’t forget about closing your curtains at night time.

9. It would be a good idea to join your Community Alert scheme and local Neighbour Watch and display the sticker on your front window. If a burglars knows that there may be someone watching them they are more likely to be deterred.

10. If you can afford to, you should consider the installation of a burglar alarm system.

On a final note, for all your Home Insurance requirements, AIB has the cover to suit your individual needs. Click here to get a quote today.

Some of the links above bring you to external websites. Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is an agent of AIB Insurance Services Limited in relation to provision of general insurance products. AIB Home Insurance is exclusively underwritten by AXA Insurance Ltd. AIB Insurance Services Limited and Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.