In 2020 we saw the number of burglaries reduce drastically year on year due to the COVID Lockdown. It is one of the few silver-linings of the pandemic with everyone staying home. Burglaries fell by around 37% across the country compared to 2019.

When restrictions relaxed in June the numbers started to climb again, and now in the midst of lockdown 3.0, the crime rate has yet again decreased. This is fantastic news, but we need to be prepared for crime numbers to once again return when society tries to get back to normal and individuals go back to work and travelling at the end of this lockdown period, meaning houses are left unattended for longer periods again and we get back to taking holidays.

Here We Share Some Ideas on How You Can Protect Your Home When the Time Comes to Return to Everyday Life:

1.       Invest in a home security system. It’s an obvious choice, but it really is the number one deterrent for burglars. A system that is visible - installed correctly and maintained regularly will let the whole street and your security provider know if someone attempts to break into your home while you are out.

2.       Close your curtains. It’s a habit of most of us to open the curtains in the morning and leave them open all day. But when you go back to working 9-5 be sure to close any curtains before you leave so any intruders can’t peek in and see if there’s anything valuable on a show worth breaking in for.

3.       If you are away for an extended period get a neighbour to pop in and pick up the post, and maybe move a couple of things around and switch a light on to give your home a lived-in look. Post piling up in a letterbox along with no signs of movement are big green flags that thieves look out for so make sure you get someone you trust to take care of this for you.

4.       Don’t forget about your shed. One thing we did see during the first lockdown was an increase in the number of sheds and outbuildings being broken into rising. Hobbies such as cycling and DIY have really boomed during this period as people look to busy themselves with the extra time at home. With that comes the purchase of the latest bikes and tools to support these new past times. Make sure you either have CCTV looking over your outbuildings or at the very least a strong locking system. A standard padlock can easily be smashed off by an opportunist thief.

5.       Update your insurance details. Now we’ve all been at home for the best part of 12 months there’s a good chance your home insurance renewal has come through at some point over the pandemic. Make sure you check the details for home occupancy - Maybe at the time you were working from home and told them someone was always home, but now your home is unoccupied 12 hours a day again. It’s worth letting them know so you are fully protected should the worst happen.