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Remember the good old days when you could leave the door unlocked so that your neighbours and friends might come and go? Sadly, we no longer enjoy that privilege.

The most crucial element in the fight against potential burglaries is security. Check your house insurance policy to see if your Underwriter has any restrictions on locks and alarms. Having excellent cover is useless if you leave your door unlocked and let everyone inside. After the horse has gone, it is useless to close the gate, as the saying goes.

So let’s look at some security measures you may take to ensure your family’s safety and your home insurance coverage. An Post Insurance Home Insurance is arranged and administered by An Post Insurance and is underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC.

In order to help us recall a new security routine that will aid us in our daily lives, An Post Insurance has chosen several well-known songs and lyrics. To assist you memorise the most important things to do while leaving your house, perhaps you can utilise them as well or come up with your own favourites.

Keep burglars ‘Locked out of Heaven’

We should avoid making your home an easy target since it can be “heaven” to would-be thieves.

• Don’t forget to lock all of your doors and windows when you leave the house, even if it may seem obvious. Make sure it’s a habit to lock your doors and windows while leaving your house since failing to do so may result in you not being covered by your home insurance. Before you depart, check all of the doors and windows. Let’s not hand out our house on a silver platter since, according to www.garda.ie, 1 in 5 criminals will enter a property through an unlocked door or window. Fencing your property is a top priority when it comes to keeping your property safe. A good sturdy fence can not only make your property more beautiful but it can also deter potential thieves from entering your home. A fence is a clear sign that you make safety a priority in your home, so next time you’re considering a home improvement project, consider fencing your number 1 task.
• Ensure all garage, basement, and sliding doors are locked.
• External doors should have high-quality locks. These would include multi-point locking for uPVC doors and 5-lever mortice locks for timber doors. (Check your home insurance policy documents for what your home insurer requires.)
• “Neighbours…everybody needs good neighbours” Don’t leave a key outdoors or in your letterbox; instead, become best friends with your neighbours so you may leave a spare key with them in case of necessity.

‘Light Up.. Light Up’

Nearly half of all burglaries on the Emerald Isle occur between 5pm and 11pm, according to www.garda.ie. So let’s light up our house and garden while we aren’t there to draw attention to our unwanted guests.

• Set a timer to turn on the lights inside the house when it is about to grow dark but you are not yet expected home.
• Invest in motion-activated floodlights for your home’s garden and exterior to ward off intruders.
• A little tight on cash these days in the financial department? Not to worry, why not visit your neighbourhood Dealz or other bargain retailers to purchase solar lights for your garden that will automatically turn on as it begins to get dark?

‘Ring the Alarm’

Any potential burglar will be naturally discouraged by the use of a conspicuous house alarm system. Who wants to get trapped in a window halfway when the bells start ringing?

An Post Insurance currently have an excellent promotion on offer with Smartzone.  Smartzone Home Alarm System is a fully interactive system that allows you to control and monitor your home security from your smartphone anywhere in the world.

All you have to do to receive a complimentary Smartzone Home Alarm system worth €699, which includes 5 security sensors, a keypad, and installation, is insure your house with An Post Insurance. Additionally, if you install and maintain a Smartzone Home Alarm System, you’ll be eligible for an 18%** discount on your home insurance at the time of renewal. If you take advantage of the deal, you will be required to sign a monitored alarm contract with Smartzone, the product’s manufacturer, for €29.99 per month for a set duration of 36 months. Applying acceptance standards, conditions, and terms. You may see the terms and conditions at anpostinsurance.ie/promotion.

Remember to activate the alarm while you are gone from the house if you have checked with your insurance provider that you have one. (Again, ensure to check your home insurance policy documents for what is required from your home insurer).

Don’t make it ‘Obvious’

Avoid creating any clear patterns that might let potential thieves know when your home is empty.

‘Nowhere to Hide’

Don’t give them somewhere to hide. Make sure any bushes or trees in your garden are clipped back and not an ideal place for someone to hide behind until the coast is clear.  For some added security, some prickly plants around the windows and perimeter wouldn’t hurt.

‘Holiday… Celebrate!’

Don’t promote on social media that you are going on vacation and leave your house empty. This can be seen as a free pass to your house.

www.Garda.ie have some good tips here for what burglars look out for when targeting or marking a home.

It is crucial to study the Terms and Conditions of your house insurance policy in order to understand what is required to guarantee that your home is protected in the case of a burglary. This goes for all aspects of home security.

^€699 based on the normal retail price of the Smartzone Home Alarm System as of May 2020.

**Discounts are applied consecutively and are subject to a minimum premium of €230 for buildings & contents and €135 for buildings only/contents only. 18% annual discount on Home Insurance applies at new business/renewal stage and is for having a Smartzone Home Alarm System installed and maintained. Alarm discount normally 12.5% for regular approved alarms. You need to call us and let us know you have installed the Smartzone Home Alarm System to avail of this discount.

An Post Insurance Home Insurance is underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC.

One Direct (Ireland) Limited, trading as An Post Insurance is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. One Direct (Ireland) Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of An Post.

All the information on this blog is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. While An Post Insurance makes every effort to ensure that the information appearing on this blog is accurate and complete, it does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability or accuracy of this information, whether express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. Any action you take upon the information you find on this blog is strictly at your own risk. An Post Insurance will not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential losses and/or damages in connection with the use of, or action taken in reliance on information contained in our blog.

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