National Home Security Month: Boosting Security With Home Safes

The first of October hails the start of National Home Security Month, an awareness campaign designed to help people protect their property. Learn more about this campaign, and how All About Safes can help you protect your belongings with a home safe.

If our recent survey is anything to go by, then modern Britain needs to be cautious when considering home security.

All About Safes’ research uncovered that 78% of people in the UK don’t believe police will recover stolen goods in the event of a break-in, which is an alarming statistic, considering 500,000 homes are burgled every year.

Given the results of this survey, it’s important that people start to think about the safety of their own property and the possessions within it. The British public needs to take responsibility for its own security if it wants a truly safe future, and that’s exactly what National Home Security Month is all about.

 

What is National Home Security Month?

National Home Security Month, commonly abbreviated to NHSM, was established in 2013 as a response to growing concerns that people are not considering the security of their properties as carefully as they should be. NHSM is an awareness campaign, like many others you’ll see occur throughout the year.

The concept is simple: to bring home security to the forefront of people’s minds and get them thinking about how they can improve the safety of their property. National Home Security Month runs for the entirety of October, throughout which time the awareness month aims to highlight numerous different elements of home security and helps to support better and more responsible lifestyles. The goal is not only about a safer month of October though, but also to get people thinking about home security year-round.

The official website of National Home Security Month itself states:

“With the pressures of a hectic day-to-day life, home security is often overlooked.”

This will likely ring true for a lot of people. With so many things to juggle in 2018, thinking about home security isn’t often something we make a priority. However, at All About Safes, we believe it should be. Simple changes, like installing a home safe, can make a massive difference to your property and possession security.

So what can we hope to learn from National Home Security Month?

 

Week-By-Week Breakdown

During the month of October, National Home Security Month will be broken down into week-by-week events and specialities. The idea is to take a focused look at individual aspects of home security each week, instead of throwing all the information at you at once.

Week One: Raise the Alarm

The first week of National Home Security Month kicks off with a look at classic burglar alarms. Data suggests that 70% of houses in the UK do not have alarm systems, putting many at risk of property theft. NHSM in 2018 will highlight this and other factors, following up with the benefits of home alarms and how they can be used not just as a deterrence, but also a barrier in the event of an actual burglary.

Week Two: Setting the Standard

Week two is a week we at All About Safes are very passionate about. It’s about securing valuables inside your home, should burglars gain entry. NHSM will cover everything from locks to home safes, discussing why investing in the best equipment now could not only save you heartache, but also money in the long term.

Week Three: Lights, Camera, Action

Week three of National Home Security Month is all about deterrence. It aims to educate and bring awareness to the idea that security options like cameras and security lights can really bolster home safety and put off would-be criminals. CCTV has been shown to be the number one deterrence factor when it comes to residential crime, and NHSM hopes to bring statistics like this and other information to light, helping you keep your property secure.

Week Four: Future Focused

As the month draws to a close, week four fixes firmly on the future. Starting October 22nd, National Home Security Month will bring awareness to modern security options and the future of property safety. From smart alarms and locks to biometric safes and more, this week is all about getting involved in the latest tech and shoring up home security.

Week Five: Dark Knights Descend

The final week of NHSM — lasting only a few days, in fact — looks at Bonfire Night and Halloween. The aim is to get people thinking about leaving their house unattended at night and during large public events, when burglaries are more likely to occur. The hope is that the British public will start to consider the security risks at a time when burglars know homes are at their most vulnerable, and what people can do to support their own safety during these periods, drawing upon what they’ve learned over the previous weeks.

 

Home Safes That Boost Your Security

One of the core messages of National Home Security Month is about protecting your possessions. Unfortunately, break-ins do happen, and figures show they are actually on the rise. In 2018, improving your residential property security is an important task. Keeping valuables safe is crucial for both financial health and keeping items of personal value secure. To that end, there can be no safer or more secure way to keep valuables out of thieving hands in the event of a burglary than holding them in a safe.

 

Benefits of a Home Safe

Safes offer a multitude of benefits for homeowners and tenants alike. So why invest in one for your property?

• Increase Valuable Security — Most people worry that police won’t recover their stolen goods in the event of a burglary, and they are right to believe so. 95% of break-ins go unsolved, with items taken never recovered. Having a home safe means that, if the worst were to happen, your valuables would be locked up tight. You don’t have to worry about never seeing lost property again, because it’s still secure in your safe.

• Boost Insurance Claims — Making insurance claims can be tricky, and getting the payout you need can be tougher still. However, if you buy a safe that has an approved cash rating, you are guaranteed to get your payout (providing your insurer agrees to add your safe onto your policy). Cash-approved safes are given a cash rating by an independent authority. Items secured in the safe are then given insurance guarantees up to the cash rating assigned to the unit. If items were to be stolen from within the safe, the insurer must pay out up to the approved cash rating value, giving you true peace of mind when it comes to financial security.

• Save Money — Safes can lower your insurance premiums, which means you can enjoy long-term savings over the many years you will need things, such as contents cover. However, that’s not the only way safes can save you money. Safes can bolster your home security and keep valuables safe at the cost of a few hundred pounds or even less. If you are concerned about keeping items safe, but don’t have the money to pay for high-security locks, CCTV security systems or other more advanced home safety features, safes offer an excellent barrier to theft at a much more affordable price.

 

 

What Kind of Home Safe Should You Buy?

Everyone has different needs for their safe, depending on where they live, the amount of space they have available for it and what they are trying to secure inside it. Residential safes are not a one-size-fits-all solution — there are countless makes and models to choose from to match your needs perfectly. Before you buy your safe, here are some things you should consider:

• Will You Hide Your Safe?

If you want a hidden safe, look for underfloor safes, wall-mounted safes or compact safes that can be placed behind objects or inside furniture. Going for a standard safe in this circumstance will limit your options for concealment. Optimise your space by buying the right kind of home safe.

• What Is Your Budget?

Buying a safe on a budget doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality. Instead of looking for new units, consider buying a refurbished safe. Used safes offer much the same level of protection as their new counterparts, but for a lower price. The only compromise is usually the weight as most refurbished safes weigh over 200 Kg.

• What Are You Securing?

If you are going to use your safe to secure a £100,000 watch, you’ll need to make sure you buy something that is equipped for the job, with advanced security features and an excellent cash rating. This will be a real investment, but worth it to keep your valuables truly safe. However, you don’t need this kind of home safe if you are using it to protect lower-value items, such as laptops or mobile phones. Check the insurance cash ratings on the safes available, as these are good markers for the quality of safe and what it can protect, and buy the product that matches the value of items you’ll be securing. Don’t waste money you don’t need to, but spend it where you have to.

 

How to Buy Your Home Safe

Buying a home safe might seem easy, but, as we’ve identified, there are many options available and sometimes you may need a little extra help.

If you’ve decided on what kind of safe you are after, feel free to browse what we at All About Safes have to offer and place your order. We offer a professional and in-house installation and delivery service, so you can always be confident in the knowledge that your order is delivered and installed (if installation is required) by trusted professionals.

However, if you are struggling to make a decision, that’s alright too! We understand that finding the right safe is not only difficult, but also incredibly important. When protecting your belongings, you want to know you’ve made the best choice possible. You can contact our safe engineers to discuss the perfect options for you via our contact page or by calling 02476 644 560. We’ll never try to upsell you a safe you don’t need. We’re here to give honest advice.

 

Maintaining Security with Your Home Safe

Once you take delivery of your home safe, you’ve made that all-important step to better security for your personal property, but that’s not the end of it. As National Home Security Month teaches us, safety is all about awareness and careful planning. To ensure your safe offers the protection you are looking for, and continues to do so well into the future, consider these points from our safe experts:

• Control Access — As time goes by, more and more people may gain access to your safe. Yet, the more people with access, the greater the risk to your belongings. Be sure to regularly change access if possible, such as updating biometrics, changing touch screen passcodes or switching up keycode access. Think of it like updating your computer and online passwords. The more rigid you are with security, the safer you are.

• Remember to Secure Belongings — A safe cannot keep your belongings secure if they aren’t inside of it, nor if the unit isn’t properly locked up. It’s easy to become complacent,or just think that one night leaving your ring on the kitchen counter won’t hurt, but burglars can strike on any date and at any time. Maintain awareness of security and keep valuables locked up in your home safe — you’ll be better for it.

• Maintenance — Over time, everything suffers from wear-and-tear, and safes are no different. They may be bulky and built to last, but they still need looking after. Electric safes need a power supply, locks need proper care and so on. Keep your safe in top condition and it will keep your belongings secure for years to come.

• Updating — Even if you look after your safe, new technology is constantly being developed to bolster home security; new safes are designed to add extra levels of protection; and new methods of cracking old tech are developed by criminals. Eventually, it is worth considering an upgrade. Investing in new safe technology every few years helps to keep you ahead of the curve, just as updating your antivirus software protects you from the latest online threats.

 

Top Tips for Boosting Home Security during NHSM

National Home Security Month is about nothing more than raising awareness of your personal property security. It’s a campaign designed to support your safety, and that is it. With that in mind, All About Safes has some advice on how to make sure you can make the most of this important month:

• Get Involved — During NHSM, campaigners will run events, write blogs, post on social media and generally connect with the community to help increase awareness of the project. Now is your chance to get involved: go to events and ask questions about your own concerns. Don’t be afraid to start thinking about your personal security, and get the answers that are important to you.

• Don’t Miss a Week — Each week of National Home Security Month has different benefits and different objectives. Each week adds value to your home security needs. Miss one and you’ll miss important information that could have a real impact for you and your loved ones. Ignore week two, for example, and you won’t know about the benefits of home safes. Forget about week four and you’ll be left behind as future tech creeps up. Keep on the ball and stay connected to the event during the entire campaign.

• Take Advice Onboard — Let’s be honest here, improving home security by following the advice on offer is likely going to require some form of investment. It may be small, like buying a compact safe for your home, or it may be major, such as introducing smart locking systems. National Home Security Month is designed to be universally accessible, which means there will be advice for everyone. However, if you really want to up your security and keep your family safe, be ready to spend a little.

Has the idea of NHSM got you thinking about ways to protect your personal property better? All About Safes offers a wide range of home safe products designed to keep your possessions away from thieves and burglars. Discover our safes for sale in the UK and boost your home security this National Home Security Month!