Mitigate Your Risk of Theft This Winter
The long winter nights provide burglars with the ideal cover to break into sheds and garages. In fact, nearly one-fifth of all theft claims are submitted during January and February—making winter a burglar’s favourite time of year.
The most common items stolen from buildings during these night-time break-ins are bicycles, mobile phones and power tools. To protect your home and valuables from burglars this winter, rely on the following seven pieces of guidance:
- Review your home insurance policy to ensure that you are adequately covered if your bicycle, sporting equipment or similar items are stolen from your shed.
- Inspect your fence to ensure there are no weak or missing areas, and that the gate lock is secure. Additionally, you may want to consider purchasing a padlock for the gate.
- Discard the packaging of expensive, high-end items, such as TVs, game consoles or power tools, in a public recycling bin rather than outside your home, as that could attract potential burglars.
- Install timed lights outside of any doors leading into your home, garage, shed or any other outbuildings in order to deter potential burglars.
- Frost or cover any windows in your garage, shed or other outbuildings to obstruct the view of any potential burglars.
- Purchase a padlock to secure your shed or any other outbuilding. Additionally, you may want to consider installing an alarm if you feel that the padlock would not be a sufficient deterrent.
- Take photographs—especially of bicycle frames and serial numbers—of any valuable items in order to help the police identify your items more quickly. Additionally, you should keep a written copy of all serial and frame numbers.
Regardless of what season it may be, thefts are a preventable incident when the appropriate precautions are taken.
By following the guidance listed above, you should not only be able to keep your home secure from potential burglars this winter, but throughout the rest of the year as well.