09 Jun 2019
Posted by Barry Aldworth 
Homeowners are being urged to double-check how secure their home is ahead of the holiday season in order to reduce the risk of a home break-in while they’re abroad.
According to a recent AA Home Insurance survey of over 5,000 people, over 60% of respondents (61.46%) indicated that they would be taking additional precautions during the summer months to help keep their home secure. Figures release by the Gardaí and the CSO earlier this year showed that almost half (45%) of burglaries reported in 2018 affected homes in Dublin.
Among the additional precautions that homeowners are most likely to take this summer according to the AA are: asking a friend or family member to intermittently check on their home (87.83%), double-checking that all internal and external locks in the home are fully functional (72.87%) and avoiding discussing their holiday plans on social media (67.98%)
“While the holiday season has already kicked off for some who are looking to avoid the traditional rush, we know from our travel insurance sales that the number of people going abroad will really peak from late-June through to early August. Unfortunately, potential burglars will also be aware of the increase in empty homes during this period, so it’s important to give some thought to your property’s security before you jet off on holiday,” Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs stated. “Thankfully in recent years we have seen people become a bit more wary of posting their holiday plans on social media, and in doing so advertising the fact that they are away from their home, but we would also encourage people to be a bit more proactive when it comes to making plans to keep their home secure during the holiday season.”
As well as following the traditional safety steps, such as relying on friends or family to keep an eye on your home, the AA is also encouraging home-owners to think outside the box when it comes to home security. For example, the AA’s survey found that less than a quarter of homeowners (24.50%) plan on changing where they keep their spare key or giving it a trusted family member of friend for safekeeping, while just over 16% say they intend on having a burglar alarm fitted ahead of their holiday.
“Deep down we all know that it’s important to be creative when it comes to hiding your spare key if you choose to keep one outside your home, but many of us can still be guilty of choosing to keep them in places that burglars are highly likely to check such as under a doormat or in a flower pot near the front door,” Faughnan added. “If this sounds like you, or even if you have kept your spare key in the same location for a number of years, it can be a good idea to move it somewhere a little less obvious or hand it over to a trusted family member or friend for the duration of your holiday so it isn’t found by any would-be thieves.”
“Meanwhile, if you don’t have a burglar alarm in place we would certainly encourage you to re-assess this decision. However, even if you have had an alarm installed it’s important to double-check that it is functioning correctly ahead of your holiday as well as having a plan for who will inform the Gardaí if the alarm goes off while you are away.”
