Insights and tips to help prevent burglaries in the UK
Give your guard dog (or cat) a break and explore how UK residents are helping to protect their home from burglars.
Key points
- UK burglary concerns vary by age and season, with residents most worried during Christmas, winter and peak summer holidays. Footnote [1]
- Common home security measures include locking doors and windows, using lights, cameras, alarms, and neighbours checking homes. Footnote [1]
- Many change their behaviours to reduce the chance of burglary, such as never posting on social media when they're on holiday and shredding documents. Footnote [1]
- If burgled, advice covers staying safe, contacting police, documenting losses, informing insurers promptly, and understanding insurance policy conditions.
You’ve locked the front door, the back door, the side doors, the garage, the shed, the outhouse (yes, they still exist), the cat flap, and the doggie door. And as the dog stretches its paws across its cozy bed with a lazy yawn, you may sigh remembering the days you hoped it would become a fierce guard dog – or at least one that doesn’t yelp in fear of its own tail.
While you’re running through your usual security checks at home, it’s worth sparing a thought for home insurance as you help protect your home.
With available home security technology and safety advice from more places than the dog can shake his tail at, our research explores how people in the UK think and feel about their safety at home.
Are UK residents worried about burglaries?
Three in ten, in our recent survey of 2,000 UK individuals, worry once a month or more about their home being broken into or burgled. Footnote [2] Almost one in 12 worry about it everyday, with those aged 25-34 being most likely to worry daily.Footnote [1]
Some may be a bit less concerned with just under two in five never worrying about being burgled. Leading this charge are men, 40% of whom are never worried, while 35% of women admit having no concerns about their home being burgled.Footnote [1]
And it may be that the more mature in age we become, the less we worry about home invasions. More than two in five of those aged 55+ never worry about home burglaries while nearly 70% of those aged 16-24 and 25–34 do worry.Footnote [3]
For more than two thirds of our participants that are worried about burglaries, their concerns differ around the time of year. Footnote [4] You may want to put down your mince pie and click off your festive movie because Christmas is the most popular time of year for homeowners to be concerned (32%). While just under one in five say they worry more during winter, nearly a quarter are more anxious about burglaries during peak summer holiday season.Footnote [1]
What security measures do UK residents currently have?
More than half of those surveyed admit to leaving their home empty when gone for three days or longer Footnote [5], with more than one in eight regularly monitoring their home through cameras. Footnote [1] Nearly a quarter say a close relative, friend, or neighbour checks on the home while they are gone.Footnote [1]
How do UK residents secure their homes?
Depending on whether they’re awake, sleeping, or away for less than a day, UK residents safety measures vary.Footnote [1]
|
| Awake at home | Going to sleep at home | Away for less than a day |
| I lock all doors that provide access to the property | 36% | 41% | 36% |
| I lock all windows that provide access to the property | 28% | 30% | 29% |
| I leave a light on | 18% | 11% | 11% |
| I leave a car on the driveway | 18% | 19% | 9% |
| I shut all my curtains / blinds | 16% | 34% | 13% |
| I have motion sensor lights | 13% | 15% | 11% |
| I have working security cameras that are activated | 13% | 11% | 11% |
| I activate my burglar alarm | 8% | 8% | 11% |
For those that do leave their home for three days or more, only 41% lock all doors that provide access to their home and only 35% lock all windows.Footnote [1]
Common Security Measures for UK Residents
Keep your property locked at all times, including garages and outbuildings, even when you’re at home. It’s also important to regularly check and maintain your locks to help keep your property secure, and to consider how and where you store valuables to ensure they are kept safe.
Three in ten of those surveyed never post on social media when they’re away on holiday so their house is not advertised as being empty. Three in ten also tear up or shred all documents and receipts to reduce the chance of fraud or identity theft. Footnote [1]
Some of those surveyed also take measures by:Footnote [1]
- keeping all high value items hidden and out of view
- not answering their front door if they don’t know who is knocking
- never post on social media when they’re out of the house for a few hours
- don’t post any high value items on social media
- having a pet that they think will deter burglars.
The survey results suggest that women are more likely than men to take safety precautions:Footnote [1]
- never posting on social media when they’re away on holiday (35% vs 25%)
- tearing up or shredding all documents and receipts (34% vs 25%)
- not answering their front door if they don’t know the person knocking (31% vs 17%)
- keeping high value items out of view. (28% vs 23%).
How can I prepare against burglaries?
In our survey, more than two in five say the value of damages and items stolen were £1,000 or more, but those aged 16-24 saw the highest average costs at £7,913.36. Footnote [6]
Detailed by the Neighbourhood Watch Network, using their checklist of actions that ‘WIDEN’ your safety could help you prepare against burglaries:Footnote [7]
- Windows – lock your windows. Have you checked your windows are closed and locked?
- Interior – put your interior lights on a timer. Are your lights set to switch on when it gets dark?
- Doors – double lock your doors or deadlock them. Have you checked all doors that provide access to your home are shut and locked?
- Exterior – put your exterior lights on sensors. Have you put the outside lights on a sensor?
- Neighbours – keep your eye out for neighbours. Have you told your neighbours if you’re going away or noticed any suspicious activity?
More information on the checklist can be found on Neighbourhood Watch Network.
What about my building and contents insurance?
Part of helping to protect your home and your belongings is not only making sure you have appropriate insurance, but it’s also important to know your facts from fiction about what could invalidate your policy.
One in five of those surveyed, for example, believe that if a property is left unoccupied for more than the number of days noted in the policy, it wouldn’t invalidate the insurance claim. And a further 30% are unsure. Footnote [1] The truth is, it may invalidate certain types of claims depending on the insurer. Check your policy to find out the total number of days you can leave your property unoccupied without it invalidating your claim.
Nearly half of our survey participants believe (or aren’t sure) that not informing the police of a theft or attempted theft wouldn’t void their claim. Footnote [1] The truth is, most insurers say you need to report burglaries to the police (to claim), but they may have some exceptions based on specific circumstances that would make doing so difficult. Ultimately, not reporting may mean your claim is delayed while your insurer waits to receive a crime reference number. Check your policy for the specific details.
What should I do if I’ve been burgled?
First, as impossible as it may seem, try your best to remain calm and make sure you’re in a safe place. Once the shock settles, and you’re within safety, take these steps:
Step 1: Don’t touch anything
This will be a challenge as, rather naturally, you’ll want to sift through your things to see what’s missing. But until your home is checked by the police, you’ll be best placed to pop your hands in some pockets (to keep from moving things) until you’re out of the house.
Step 2: Leave the house
Walking into your home to realise you’ve been burgled is devastating. But your safety, as well as that of your family, is better served by leaving the house immediately. Find a safe place to wait and call 101 to report it. If you think the intruder(s) is still inside your home, then call 999. Make note of any unusual or suspicious activity as you wait for the police to arrive.
Step 3: Take inventory
Once you have permission from the police, start taking stock by making a list of what’s been stolen with an estimate of how much each item costs. This will not only help the police, but also your insurer. Take pictures of any damage (inside and out) caused by the burglary.
Figuring out the cost of the damage may be challenging, too. More than a third of our survey participants don’t think they could give an accurate estimate of how much items in their home cost Footnote [8] and just under one in five don’t keep records of any purchases. Footnote [1]
When taking out an insurance policy, our contents insurance calculator can help work out the amount of cover you may need. For full details of any cover limitations, please refer to the insurance policy documents.
Step 4: Get in touch with your insurer
Check your policy details because some insurers ask that you get in contact within 24 hours of the burglary. They may ask for
- the name and address of anyone who may have witnessed the burglary
- any suspicious activity before or after the home robbery
- the police report that details the incident.
Step 5: Clean up
Once your home is fully inspected and reports are taken by the police, you may take time to clean up the mess or damage caused by the burglary. As this may be overwhelming, reach out to family and friends who may help you in the process.
If burgled in the future, nearly four in five of those surveyed would report it to the police and nearly three quarters would take pictures as evidence. 71% would report the burglary to their insurance company and nearly as many would improve their security measures for their home.Footnote [1]
No one plans to have their home burgled, but taking precautions and finding the right cover may help ease your anxieties.
For more tips and tricks, check out our article on how to help protect your shed from burglars.
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