42% of homeowners leave doors and windows unlocked when they are at home, finds survey
20th April 2022 19:36 - Housing
42% of homeowners leave doors and windows unlocked when they are at home:A survey has revealed than more than two-fifths of homeowners leave doors and windows unlocked when they are at home – this is despite figures showing that most burglaries (58%) happen when there are people inside their homes.
The polling by Yale also found that security was not high on the priority ‘to-do’ list for people when buying a new home, with just 11% saying that changing the locks is the first thing they do when they move into a new home they have bought. A third, admitted that the first thing they do is clean, while 15% said that making a cup of tea is the first thing they’ll do after moving in.
The research also revealed the tactics homeowners employ to make it look like somebody is home, ranging from ‘keeping a light on’ (52%) to 'leaving the TV or radio turned on' (28%). Almost a quarter also revealed that they ask a neighbour to park on their driveway when they go on holiday, to give the impression that somebody is home.
Also revealed by the survey was that when scouring the market for a new home, almost two-fifths of people (38%) said they investigate the area’s crime rates before making their mind up, seeking out low figures, while a quarter (24%) said they look for a property that has a working alarm system. Just over a fifth of respondents said that a property with a door that is fitted with a lock that meets British Standard BS3621 is important (this lock standard is required by some insurance companies).
While six in 10 homeowners (59%) said they would invest in home security products to give them ‘peace of mind’, the research found that almost two-thirds of homeowners have not upgraded the locks in their home in the last two years (65%), while a third (32%) admitted that they still have keys to their previous homes. In addition, around half (51%) said they did not have any smart security products in their home.
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