Summer security: Nearly half of Brits to implement new safety measures to keep their homes secure this summer

After spending more time at home than ever before over the past year, new research1 by comparethemarket.com has revealed Brits’ thoughts on home security, the measures they will be looking to implement to keep their homes safe as the lockdown eases and summer arrives, as well as top security tips.

As 87% of the nation admit to being security conscious, it comes as no surprise that three quarters (74%) actively worry about the safety of their home.

What may be surprising to some is that as a result of the pandemic, half of Brits (50%) are more alert now than they were prior – but, what is inspiring this change? Not only are we not used to leaving our homes unattended, but after the results of a recent poll2 by comparethemarket.com revealed that 43% of UK couples renovated their home themselves in the past 12 months, it makes sense that people would have a stronger desire to protect their property from potential risk.

As a result, 49% are planning to introduce further measures to protect their homes, including CCTV and security doorbells (17%), alarms (12%), and outdoor lights (10%).

When asked how long they are willing to leave their home unattended, almost one in five (17%) won’t leave it unoccupied for more than a couple of hours, and over a fifth (23%) won’t leave it unattended overnight. For those who choose to venture on mini breaks or holidays for more than two days, just under half (44%)ask friends or neighbours to watch over their property.

Comparing the opinions of homeowners vs renters, homeowners appear to be slightly more security conscious (91%) than renters (74%) , which could be explained by them owning their property and having more freedom when it comes to updating their home. In contrast, when it comes to spending time away from home, renters consider home security when making plans more frequently (72%) than homeowners (59%), which may be linked to renters having less security measures in place than homeowners.

Looking at what measures they’re hoping to introduce this summer, both homeowners and renters are on similar pages. Renters will opt for alarms (23%), a security doorbell (20%), and CCTV (18%), whereas homeowners put CCTV and security doorbells (17%) at the top of their list.

Commenting on the findings, Chris King, head of home insurance at comparethemarket.com, says: “As the research suggests, it is not uncommon to be cautious when considering the security of your home, especially as more people have been investing in their properties over the past year. However, it is important to remember there are safety measures you can put into place to keep your home safe from intruders such as CCTV, alarms and even security doorbells.

“Whether you own your home, or you’re renting from a landlord or letting agent, it is important to ensure that you check the terms of your insurance policy. For homeowners, it is sensible to ensure that your home and contents are covered, and for renters, it is wise to have content insurance in place, should the worst occur.”

For those that are already security aware, or if you want to try and add some additional measures to your home over the summer months, comparethemarket.com spoke with David, CEO at Delta Security Management for his top tips on how best to secure your property.

According to David, it’s important to get an alarm installed or as a minimum, if you have one, be sure to use it as they’re not just for bigger homes. As well as this, installing motion sensor lights to the front and rear of your home will light up any potential intruders before they get to a window or door. As well as this, you can install five lever British standard deadlocks to external doors.