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Home Security
By Michael Sanford
Installing a home security system is becoming increasingly
popular and easy for most do it yourselfers while saving
money. Some home security companies require a three
year contract trapping home owners in.
More than half of Britons (58 per cent) give away spare
keys to their home, typically to friends and family,
according to a survey by NOP for insurer NIG.
But four per cent of movers do not bother to reclaim their
spare keys when they move house.
In properties that are rented out, or have been rented out at
some point the problem is worse.
Seven per cent of tenants do not return their spare keys
when moving out, increasing the possibility that a stranger
has access to your house.
NIG director Adrian Harris said: "This is really quite a
worrying result for both home owners and insurers. The
fact that so many unclaimed keys are in circulation raises
major questions about home security."
Nearly three-quarters of recipients of spare keys are family
members, while 14 per cent are neighbours and eight per
cent are friends.
Despite the security risk that it poses, 59 per cent of those
surveyed said they did not change the locks when they last
moved into a new home.
Mr Harris added: "These results show it makes sense for
any new home owners to consider changing their
property¡¯s locks to ensure that anyone still holding spare
keys can¡¯t get back into the property or can pass them onto
someone who may want to break in."
e.g. The EZWatch Burglar Alarm System is truly a break
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dispatched within seconds of receiving an alarm signal.
Hardly a day goes by without a new story about spam,
viruses, spyware, and other hazards of using the Internet.
Spammers and malicious hackers work relentlessly to defy
computer defenses, expecting that some people haven't
applied the latest security fixes.
With new technology, it is making it more affordable and
easier for people to install their own home security system.
One company in particular started selling DIY home
security systems after the owners were frustrated at the
extremely high costs of the larger national home security
companies. Code Tech security started offering systems
where the do it yourselfer can have a system up and
running for a few hundred dollars without signing a
contract for monitoring. Many people believe that if a
burglar breaks into the house a simple alarm sound will
deter most people from sticking around.
That is exactly what Code Tech security offers, a wireless
system that the home owner sets up and then allows the
system to call up to nine different telephone numbers
versus a monitoring system. The homeowner can allow
the system to call a cell phone, neighbor, a family
member, friends, etc. with their own personal message.
The best selling product for Code Tech security is the
¡°Complete Wireless alarm system¡± that comes with a
Control Panel, a dialer, motion detector, 2 door or window
sensors, and a keychain transmitter. Then customers add
on additional accessories as needed. For instance, most
people add on more window or door sensors.
Three quarters of British homeowners either do not have
an alarm system, or do not bother to turn it on, with six
people in ten forgetting to ask tradesmen for proper
identification, Privilege Home Insurance reveals.
More basic errors are less widespread but worryingly more
than one person in three is not changing their locks after
losing their keys, 27 per cent are leaving a spare key
outside their house and around one homeowner in five
does not lock doors and windows when they leave the
home, a report for the insurer adds.
And these lapses in security can prove costly at any time.
Churchill Home Insurance today shows that burglars are
most likely to strike on Wednesday, costing up to ?127
million a week.
"Our findings show that burglars will target homes
on week nights as well as weekends and that
homes need to be secure at all times, whether
people are at home or not," said Martin Scott,
head of home insurance at Churchill.
Friday and Saturday nights are the next most
likely time for thieves to strike, while Thursday
tops the list for London and the south-east.
"Burglaries can obviously occur at any time but a
few simple precautions can make a real difference.
Home owners should always be mindful of the risk
of burglary and secure windows and doors when
going out, even if it is only to visit a neighbour for
a few minutes," Mr Scott added.
Three quarters of people who own or rent a home
say its safety is very important to them, with four
in ten convinced their property is as safe as it can
be, Privilege research finds.
But with one person in six having no idea how
many people have keys to their home, there is a
gap between perception and reality.
Ian Parker, managing director of Privilege Home
Insurance commented: "The gap between
people's perceptions about safety consciousness
and the reality is considerable. It seems that
many of us are convinced that our homes are safe
and yet we are not taking the necessary
precautions to keep our homes secure."
Privilege has created a simple checklist to aid this.
The insurer urges homeowners to never leave
home without:
? Checking all doors and windows are closed and locked
? Switching on the security alarm, if you have one
? Checking all gas and electrical appliances are switched
off and not left on standby
? Placing valuables in a safe place
? Ensuring fires and candles are extinguished
British homeowners' top ten safety and security lapses are:
1. Not having, or not using, a burglar alarm - 76 per cent;
2. Not asking tradesmen for identification - 59 per cent;
3. Not bothering to leave a light on when away from home
- 48 per cent;
4. Not checking appliances are switched off when they
leave the house - 46 per cent;
5. Not bothering to have the locks changed after losing
keys - 37 per cent;
6. Leaving spare keys outside the house - 27 per cent;
7. Not having a smoke alarm or not checking it regularly -
27 per cent;
8. Smoking in the home, or allowing others to- 23 per cent;
9. Not locking all doors and windows when leaving - 18 per
cent;
10. Having no clue how many people have keys to their
home - 14 per cent.
About the Author
For more information on Home Security please visit the Home Security resource center at http://www.home-security-experts.info
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/14288.html
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