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Protect your property
Welcome to Home Doctor
Norwich Union is a leading provider of home insurance, and we believe we should give our customers more than financial protection for the things they care about.
We've drawn on our extensive experience and researched authoritative, expert resources such as the Police, the Fire Service, Health and Safety to bring you Home Doctor: a guide packed with essential advice to help keep your home safe and secure.
If you are already well organised, it may still highlight some things you haven't thought about. If you are no expert, you'll find it packed with practical solutions for reducing risks and improving the safety of your surroundings.
Reduce the risk of your properties within your house from being stolen by taking some simple measures:
Valuables
High value items such as jewellery, silverware, fine art or antiques and some electrical equipment present an increased risk of theft from within the home. These items are generally portable, of high value and can be readily sold on once removed. If you have any high value items, here are some security tips:
- Avoid leaving high value items on display, and when away from the property, move valuables to discreet locations out of general sight
- Jewellery and quantities of cash should be stored within a Safe or other suitable container
- Compile a photographic or video record of all valuables within the property, these should be labelled and stored securely once catalogued. Comments on values, sizes, colours, manufacturers and distinctive features/marks could also be added
- Consider security marking for suitable items. This could be by means of a UV marker pen with name, postcode and house number recorded. Suitable window stickers should also be displayed warning that the property is marked
- Record the serial number, make and model of all valuable electrical items within the home
- Ensure valuables are adequately insured with up to date valuations in place.
Retain receipts for future reference
External websites
Outbuildings and Gardens
Due to their reduced level of security, garages, sheds and other outbuildings often present easy pickings for the burglar. Reduce risk by:
- Appropriately locking doors and windows
- Fitting blinds to windows to hide attractive items from view
- Place high value portable items such as tools and electrical equipment within locked containers. Similarly, lock mowers and cycles
- Keep walls, hedges, fences and gates in good repair. Don't let hedges and shrubs become so tall that they conceal intruders by blocking the neighbours' view of the property
- Put gravel on paths and driveways as it can help alert you to the arrival of visitors
External websites
Going Away/Holidays
Burglars are largely opportunists and are attracted to any house, which appears empty. If you're going away, here are a few tips to bear in mind:
- Ask neighbours, friends or family to call in regularly, and if possible, to remove post from the letterbox, close curtains at the end of each day and to relocate the waste bin after emptying. Also, invite neighbours to park their vehicle on your driveway
- Leave lights, and possibly a radio turned on at low volume, in various rooms on timer switches
- Remove high value or attractive contents from windows
- During the Christmas holidays avoid leaving presents and gifts on display, e.g. near windows, under visible Christmas trees and within other easily accessible locations
- Do not store empty discarded boxes and packaging outside. This advertises the items that have been recently purchased and is likely to draw attention to the property
- Store ladders in garages or outbuildings or chain them up if left outside
- Ensure all outbuildings are secured with machinery and tools stored out of sight
