Questionnaire: How Safe is Your Home?

By: Joanne Walker BA (hons) - Updated: 21 Sep 2012 | *Discuss

 

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Your home is the one place where you should feel safe. There will always be ways in which this safety can be exploited but take our short quiz to find out if your home is as safe as you can possibly make it.

1. You are popping to the shops on a hot and sunny day. You know you will not be gone long. Do you...

• a. Shut all of the doors and windows – anything could happen while you are gone.
• b. Shut all of the doors and most of the windows but leave an upstairs one open – it is a hot day after all.
• c. Shut the front door behind you but leave the windows – you'll be back in five minutes and it's too hot a day to shut everything up.

2. You have a burglar alarm installed at your house. Do you...

• a. Always set it – even if you are going to bed. You can omit certain zones and it is better to be safe than sorry.
• b. Set it when you are going out but not when you go to bed – you're in the house, so it should be safe
• c. Hardly ever use it. It's a pain to set and unset and if it goes off it just annoys the neighbours.

3. You think window locks are...

• a. Incredibly useful and necessary
• b. Useful when you go on holiday but not needed the rest of the time.
• c. Don't know why anyone would bother

4. When you go away on holiday you...

• a. Set timers for the lights, lock all windows and doors and leave a key with the neighbour and ask them to pop in and check on things while you are away
• b. Lock up and warn the neighbour you are away, and if they could make sure all post is through your letterbox, that would be great
• c. Lock up and head off

5. Your alarm code is...

• a. Changed frequently
• b. A number which means nothing
• c. Your birthdate

Answers

Mostly As

Your home seems to be fairly safe and secure. However, remember that there are always ways in which burglars and other unwanted and uninvited guests can gain entry and so always be vigilant to these opportunities and take necessary precautions when you spot something which could be a way in. At the same time, do not let the idea of home security run your life – you have the basics in place so enjoy your home and your life. The other main thing to remember is that you must use the precautions you have installed. If you have a burglar alarm, always set it. If you have locks on your windows, always use them. The same goes for timer switches and other gadgets – they are great to have, but unless they are set, they are of no more use than if they were not there at all.

Mostly Bs

You have thought about home security but there is more you can do if you want to take all necessary and sensible precautions. A burglar alarm can be set when you are in the house and asleep as well as when you are out – unfortunately burglars do not tend to respect whether the homeowners are in or not before they break in. You should also consider checking that all of your possible entry routes into the home are as secure as they can be. Locks can be well worth the trouble because if windows are not locked, it only takes a burglar a few minutes to smash a window and lean in and open it from the inside.

Mostly Cs

There is plenty more which you could do to secure your home and it would be advisable to do this. It is all very well thinking that a burglary will never happen to you but if you do not take basic security precautions, then you are increasing your chances by many many times. Burglars can be opportunistic and therefore, if they see that you have left a window open or a door unlocked, they will think that there luck is in. Home security does not have to be rocket science – in fact, much of it is common sense. Use your common sense to protect your home and lower the chances of you becoming a victim of this intrusive crime.

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