As the UK approaches the easing of lockdown restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic, insurance providers are warning homeowners to protect their properties from burglaries.

According to research from ElectricalDirect, 64% of UK burglaries occur when someone is at home and 76% of burglars walk staright through your front door!

Dominick Sandford, Director at ElectricalDirect, has put together five smart security additions homeowners should invest in to keep the burglars at bay in 2021, whether we are stuck in the house or not. 

He said: "We have all probably become a little complacent when it comes to home security at the moment.

“Constantly being in the house, many no longer feel the need to lock the door or even shut the windows.”

He added:“According to ONS data, in 64% of burglaries, someone was home at the time of the crime, meaning that a homeowner's presence alone is not deterrent enough.”

To ensure the safety of your home while you are in or out of it, Dominick has put together a list of our top five recommended smart security solutions homeowners should invest in, in 2021.

Top 5 Home Security Additions You Need in 2021 for a Safer Home

Smart locks

With a smart lock system, you’ll never have to worry about leaving the doors unlocked ever again. These smart locks feature keyless locking technology, so you can set the door to automatically lock behind you when you leave your home. Mean no more anxiety about whether you locked it or not.

The biggest selling point of a smart lock is that you’ll never have to worry about losing your keys or changing your locks. A relief considering 10% of domestic break-in attempts were successful last year because intruders had a key to the home.

Motion sensors

One of our favourite smart security solutions is also one of the most cost-effective, and they’re incredibly easy to set-up too.

Simply place a smart motion sensor in your home, connect it to your Wi-Fi, download the app and you’re ready to go. If any movement is detected when you’re not at home, you’ll get an alert on your smartphone.

Just make sure to place them in areas where pets are not free to roam.

Video doorbells

We’ve all had those strange knocks at the door from unfamiliar faces claiming to want to clean out guttering or provide a free window valuation, sometimes these visits are legitimate, but with 7% of intruders pushing past homeowners to gain entry and 3% giving false pretenses for entering it is vital homeowners take extra precautions.

A video doorbell is one of the easiest ways to keep an eye on who’s visiting your home when you're in and when you’re not around, recording suspicious activity. They are also a brilliant deterrent, as they immediately indicate to potential burglars that they’re on camera.

With 76% of burglars choosing the front door as their method of entry, this entrance should be your priority for security measures.

CCTV with night vision

The highest number of burglaries occur during the evening/night, which is when 60% of burglaries occurred last year, compared to only 40% during the day, with intruders preferring the cover of darkness. In fact, there has been a 6% increase in burglaries taking place in the late evening (10PM-midnight), meaning it may be worth investing in a smart CCTV system that automatically switches to night mode when the sun goes down. 

CCTV used to be reserved for the wealthy, but there are now many smart affordable options available, making this form of security more accessible.

You can find out where best to position security cameras here.

An alarm system

Nothing beats an alarm to keep intruders at bay. Smart alarms can connect to your smartphone or smartwatch, so you’ll be immediately notified if the alarm is triggered.

But don't worry if you have a furry friend roaming the house during the day, most smart alarms now have advanced motion sensitivity, this means you won’t have to worry about your pets setting it off accidentally during the day. 

Top Tip!

Smart homes offer additional security benefits, but like most devices, your smart tech is at risk from hacking attempts. Make sure you choose a long and strong password when you’re setting up a new smart device in your home.

It should have a minimum of ten characters and include a mix of special characters, symbols, uppercase and lowercase letters. Make your password unique and ensure it’s not linked to any other accounts – just in case. Don’t forget to set-up two-factor authentication on your smart home app, too.

It is also important to keep these apps updated, and when any updates do come in, make sure you let them run. Doing so will keep your smart home devices fully protected and updated with the latest firmware."