Homeowners are leaving themselves vulnerable to a break-in

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According to new research from esure home insurance, homeowners aren't taking steps to protect their property and belongings by poorly concealing spare keys outside and failing to secure windows and doors.

In fact, more than two fifths (42 per cent) of homeowners polled admit to leaving the house without locking their back door; a staggering 64 per cent have left their windows open when no-one was home whilst a third (34 per cent) have gone out without properly securing the front door.

Homeowners are also increasing the risk of burglary by hiding spare keys outside their property in case they misplace the originals or lock themselves out. Two fifths (39 per cent) of homeowners surveyed hide keys in their garden in case of such an emergency.

However, homeowners should choose their hiding places carefully because if they can't prove to their insurer that they took steps to properly conceal their keys - such as not choosing an obvious hiding place at the front of their house where they could easily have been spotted by an opportunistic thief - then a claim may not be paid out.

The top 10 most popular outside hiding places for keys:

Under a plant pot
Under the door mat
Under a stone
In a flower pot
In the garden shed
Under a drain cover
On top of one of the car tyres
Buried in the flower bed
In an outside cupboard
Under a paving slab

A shocking seven per cent of those surveyed have actually been burgled by a thief who got into their house by using a hidden key. Also, nearly one in ten (8 per cent) homeowners questioned didn't even know how many sets of spare keys they have given to friends, family or hidden somewhere outside their property.

Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure home insurance, said: "Most burglars are looking for an easy target and leaving windows and doors unlocked is practically inviting them in. Homeowners should make sure their property is as secure as possible because if they can't prove to their insurer that they took steps to keep their home and contents safe - then a claim may not be paid out.

Make sure you take the time to regularly review the security of your property and make sure you have adequate contents insurance in the event of a break-in."

esure has put together some simple steps for homeowners to take to try to prevent their property from being burgled:

Don't hide keys outside of your home - especially at the front of the house - in case you are spotted planting or retrieving them by an opportunistic thief.
Make sure that you fit a strong lock on the front door such as a 5-lever mortice deadlock or rimlock with the 'British Standard 3621, kitemark'.
Keep windows closed and locked when your property is unoccupied.
Fit a clearly visible alarm box.
Have a working outdoor security light with a motion sensor at the front and rear of your home.
Trees should be planted at some distance from the house - so they can't be climbed and give access to an upper floor window.
Lock away useful tools and equipment that could help a burglar enter your home e.g. drills, hammers, ladders, wheel barrows.
Fit sheds and outbuildings with a good quality lock and position them close to your home.
Check fences for missing or loose planks and panels so as not to give thieves easy access to your property. Ideally use 6ft tall, sturdy wooden fencing with concrete posts.
Try to avoid littering your back yard with rocks, large pebbles and ornaments or garden lighting that may be used by a burglar as a missile to break a window - consider heavy pots.
Fit a sturdy back gate and keep it securely locked.
Consider a crunchy, gravel driveway that will generate noise when a vehicle or person approaches the house.
Plant tall, thorny plants to the rear of borders and close to fencing.
Check that your hedges are compact and make a good barrier, but make sure that they are not too high that they conceal the view. Some hedges may look green and healthy at the top but have holes and dead wood lower down which are easily crawled though.

-ends-

esure's press contacts:

Emma Lloyd, Assistant Communications Officer: 01737 641309
Niki Bolton, Corporate Communications Manager: 01737 235070
Asia Manzoor, Public Relations Officer: 01737 641305
Adrian Webb, Head of Corporate Communications: 01737 641000
Email: pr@esure.com
An ISDN line is available for radio interviews.
Case studies are available on request.

Notes to Editors:

SWNS conducted an online research survey via Onepoll which interviewed a random sample of 3,000 homeowners between 29th October and 2nd November 2009.

About esure:

esure was launched in 2001. The company offers car, home, pet and travel insurance over the internet and by phone. esure also offers car insurance cover through the brands Halifax, Sainsbury's, Sheilas' Wheels and more recently home insurance through the Sheilas' Wheels brand.

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