Worryingly, a recent survey found that 15% of the 1,100 Kiwis interviewed in a recent AA Insurance home security survey were still in the house when their home was broken into. Aside from subscribing to a range of services from Matrix Security including monitored alarms or the Green Reflector Service, there are all sorts of simple things that you can do to protect your family and make your home safer.

Here are some simple ideas –

  • Lock your car and your garage and it’s also advisable to keep doors locked, even when you are at home
  • Keep your spare keys in a safe place. Burglars know all the usual places – don’t make it easy for them
  • Generally, the more expensive the lock, the more effective it will be against burglary
  • Install sensor lights which act as a deterrent.
  • Record the serial numbers of your possessions and keep the record in a safe place and also consider keeping valuables in a safe place, such as a safe or at the bank.
  • Report any suspicious activity you see to the Police.
  • Always report a break-in and should your house get burgled, leave things as they are until the Police have been
  • If you come home and you notice an intruder in your house, go and ring the Police. Do not enter the house.
  • If you are at home and you notice an intruder in your house, endeavour to leave the house without alerting the intruder and ring the Police. Do not re-enter the house. If you can’t leave without alerting the intruder; keep calm, don’t block their exit, and try to memorise what they look like.
  • Consider joining Neighbourly
  • Check that your insurance policy is up to date.

On the subject of insurance, it’s worth asking whether your premiums will be reduced with 24hr monitoring and professional security protection. That way you are looking after your home, your person and your finances!