NEWS COPY
A reckless 70 per cent of Brits don’t have a burglar alarm in their home, according to new research.
Over one in ten regularly go out without locking windows and doors.
And home security is 43rd on the list of things we think about when moving house.
The worrying statistics emerged from a poll of 2,000 adults by home security specialists Yale.
The number one priority when moving house is easy parking, followed by concerns over the council tax banding.
But the issue of home security comes extremely low on the list, below considerations like whether neighbours would be able to see them sunbathing in the garden.
Family-minded Brits are also far more concerned about how close they’ll be to mum and dad than how safe they’ll be in the new property.
Yale MD Nigel Fisher said: “We weren’t expecting home security to be the first thing on people’s minds when moving house, but it has come much lower in the top 50 list than we’d have predicted.
“On the one hand it is reassuring that ‘what the local crime rates are like’ has appeared in the top 10, as this would suggest some level of concern about safety.
“But we would always advise checking out the local neighbourhood for signs of well-maintained buildings.
“In addition, check door locks are up to insurance standards, and check windows and front doors for signs of break-ins.”
Broadband speed is a key consideration and 48 per cent factor in how noisy the neighbours are likely to be, while the ‘class’ of neighbours is important to 22 per cent.
One in five don’t want to move into a property which has young children next door and many check if the neighbours could see them sunbathing in the garden.
Whether or not a king-size bed will fit in the master bedroom and the sofa will fit through the patio doors also feature in the top 50 list.
Over a third admit the last time they moved house they were more preoccupied about where things would go in the new property than home security.
A further 64 per cent admit they don’t have much outside lighting, 57 per cent don’t have any trusted neighbours to keep an eye on the property and 73 per cent don’t think to put lights and radios on timers when they go away.
Nigel Fisher added: “Home Office figures have highlighted that you are almost twice as likely to be burgled in the first 12 months of being in a new home, so security should be at the forefront of people’s minds when moving.”
TOP 50 MOVING PRIORITIES
- Ease of parking
- Council tax
- How much it would cost you in total
- How noisy the neighbours are
- How recently the boiler was fitted
- Local crime rates
- Nearest supermarket
- What the neighbours are like
- If radiators work
- Bus services
- Broadband speed
- Nearest GP
- Efficiency of home energy
- How far away from my friends I'd live
- What types of supermarkets are nearby
- Length of commute
- Amount of decorating involved
- Removal costs
- How far away from mum and dad I'd live
- Changing my address on everything
- Whether I could fit all of my belongings in the new house
- Number/location of plug sockets
- Whether the property is close enough for existing friends to still visit
- Whether immediate neighbours have children who are likely to scream
- State of carpets
- Space for dishwasher
- The 'class' of the neighbours
- Whether the sofa will fit through front door
- Mobile phone reception
- Whether there are large trees overlooking the property
- If current furniture will suit new house
- Switching all the utility suppliers
- Size of garden
- Cost of building insurance
- Proximity to schools
- Amount of cleaning involved before moving in
- Whether there is a utility room or somewhere to put the laundry
- Whether we can get a king sized bed
- Ease of getting bins out
- Whether the neighbours can see me if I sunbathe in the garden
- Whether there is an en-suite bathroom
- Whether street lights are going to shine in bedroom windows
- Quality of home security
- Who should have which bedroom
- Whether there are children in the local area
- Whether there is a room large enough to host a house party
- What colour to paint the lounge
- Whether existing curtains would fit the new windows
- Whether I can easily wash the car near the house
- What colour to paint the kitchen.
ENDS
