When it comes to home security, there’s no such thing as being too careful.

According to the Office of National Statistics, from April 2017 to March 2018, 14% of all domestic burglaries in Wales and England involved an unlocked door and 7% involved an open window, while 4% saw entry with an actual key.

Even more concerning, the front door was used as the point of entry for 52% of these incidents. Meanwhile, 25% of all burglaries also occurred while the occupants were home and completely unaware that they were being burgled.

Such statistics point to the glaringly obvious – Britain needs to be more careful when it comes to home security. Luckily, there are a few common home security mistakes you can easily remedy to increase your home safety dramatically.

Home Security Mistakes

As the old sayings go, prevention is better than a cure and defence is the best form of attack. Keep your home safe from break-ins by avoiding the most common home security mistakes prevalent across the UK.

Hiding a Key Outside

A classic security mistake, the old “key under the mat” trick is so predictably careless that it’s been habitually lampooned in pop culture, appearing in everything from Back to the Future to SpongeBob SquarePants.

Similar spots like under a plant put or beneath a bin are just as predictable for would-be burglars, leaving your home wide open for unwanted visitors.

Leaving your key outside is like setting your phone pin as your date of birth. While it might not be as careless as keeping it open, it’s far from fool-proof and doesn’t take a criminal mastermind to get in.

High-Profile Valuables

If your valuables are highly visible from the outside, it can leave a passing opportunist salivating like a dog in a butcher’s window.

From jewellery and watches to car keys and mobile phones, leaving items in direct view of the window is asking for trouble, particularly if your house directly backs on to a busy street.

While it’s easy to say “don’t leave your valuable in full-view”, realistically anyone can slip up from time to time. As such, it’s a good idea to invest in blinds or even net curtains.

To further limit the possibility of your prized possessions being swiped, never leave an open window unattended.

Lights Out

While it may seem obvious, a dark house with no lighting is ironically a glaring beacon to burglars that the house is empty…unless you happen to have photophobia and simply hate lights.

If you’re going to be out of the house for a short period of time – such as the evening or overnight – leaving a light on is an instant remedy that can work wonders. It’s literally as easy as flicking a switch.

Meanwhile, if you’re going away on holiday and are going to be leaving your house vacant for several days, installing light timers can be a wise and affordable solution. Some don’t even require programming for added ease.

A lack of lighting externally can also provide burglars with the perfect cover to enter a property undetected. Invest in motion sensor security lights to highlight any intruders before they make their move.

External Build-Ups

Whether it’s an overflowing letterbox of backlogged junk mail or a growing stock of deliveries in the porch, external build-ups clearly in plain view of passers-by make it blatantly obvious the occupants are away for a prolonged period of time.

Even something simple like leaving your bins at the bottom of the drive for collection can be a dead giveaway. If possible, cancel any deliveries and/or arrange for a neighbour, friend or family member to stop by and collect/clear up any obvious signs of inhabitancy.

A build-up of milk on your doorstep used to be another tell-tale sign of a lengthy getaway. While this has somewhat fallen by the wayside with the decline of milk deliveries, it’s been naturally replaced by a fitting 21^st century substitute…

Social Media Declarations

Many of us will be guilty of this next entry but it doesn’t make it any less foolish from a security point of view. Announcing your holiday plans on social media is like putting a big neon “OPEN” sign on your front door.

Letting the social media world know your house is vacant for a week isn’t smart. While we’d all like to think that our friends are honest, law-abiding citizens, truthfully, many of us will be connected to people online we know in passing or barely know at all. 

If you have hundreds of Facebook friends, ask yourself how many of those can you really count as genuine friends? Realistically, many will be acquaintances, while some may even be relative unknowns.

Worse still, a bit of digging through your timeline can often uncover an address with relative ease. For example, we’ve all seen those “new home” posts of house keys: if the accompanying photo is of the house or street itself, they can provide a lot more info than you would like.

Home Security

If you really want to keep your home safe and sound, it could be well worth investing in some additional safety options. At IDS Security, we offer a variety of home security measures that are specifically designed to keep your home and its contents as safe as possible.

From surveillance cameras and burglar alarms to access controls and fire protection systems, we run the gamut of security technology to provide you with something money can’t buy – peace of mind.

For more details on our security systems and home protection technology, why not get in touch today? Call now on 029 20 753 251 or drop us a line using the link below.

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Access control systems are an exemplary electronic means of restricting access to your property, be it commercial or residential. Whether you own an office and want to keep better tabs on your employees' activities, or a homeowner who's sick of the neighbour popping in for a cuppa unannounced, an access control system will be your new best friend! Let's dive straight into the 5 most notable benefits of access control systems:

1. Hard to Duplicate 

If you have a disgruntled employee (or a bitter ex), it's possible that they could duplicate your key to gain access to your property.

Rather than changing the locks, you can simply change the passcode, remove the person's biometric data and deactivate any lost/stolen keycards or fobs remotely. 

2. Multi-Location Access

For businesses like schools, offices and hospitals, access control systems allow access at multiple entrances with a single keycard or fob, meaning employees don't need to carry a huge bunch of keys.

The same applies to your home, why have a front door key, a back door key and a conservatory key when you could have an access control system to secure them all.

3. Increased Protection

If you have valuable items in your home or business, access control systems offer far better protection than standard doors.

On the off chance that someone with authorised access decides to take advantage of the access control system, you'll be able to determine exactly who it was by logging into the access control network.

If you want to add yet another layer of protection, why not add a CCTV system too?

4. Simplify the in-&-out system

Without an access control system, it can be complicated to manage the comings and goings of employees who work irregular hours, for example, night shifts.

Rather than doors needing to be manually locked and unlocked as employees come and go, one benefit of access control systems is that they offer a 'unlock only when necessary' scenario. Employees can gain access quickly and the doors will lock automatically behind them. 

This could also be incredibly handy if your youngsters come to and from the house during unsociable hours, and can't be trusted to lock the door behind them!

5. Record Entry & Exit Data

The final benefit of access control systems is that you can accurately record entry and exit data.

The moment that someone uses their keycard or fob to enter the building, the date, time and location are recorded. This data can provide invaluable insights into the behaviour of your employees.

For example, is there one person who always shows up late, is there one person who's working later into the night than they should be - and so on. 

If you think that your property could benefit from an access control system then don't hesitate to get in touch with a member of the IDS team! 

When you’re buying a house, security should be a top priority. After all, nobody wants to move into a new home where there is an inherent risk to your safety.

However, when you’re selling a house, home security can be just as important – particularly when it comes to property value.

Keeping your property up to date and up to scratch with the appropriate security measures can seriously pay off.

How so? Let’s find out…

Does a Security System Add Value to a Home?

Thinking about it logically, if you were buying a house, would you rather buy a house in a safe area that’s backed by top-quality CCTV or a property in a dodgy neighbourhood that doesn’t even have a front door?

While that example may seem a little extreme, the point remains. When you’re selling a house, a safe and secure property is a far more desirable proposition than one that poses potential risks. As such, it really does pay to cover any chinks in the proverbial armour.

Naturally, properties that pose minimal security risk are likely to garner a higher price tag. What’s more, they also provide a more attractive option to potential buyers in terms of overall investment, as they also present your would-be buyer with potentially cheaper insurance premiums.

Types of Home Security

If you’re considering ramping up your home security in the interest of adding value to your home, there are a few different routes you can take.

At IDS Security, we recommend considering the following options to keep your property as safe as houses.

Burglar Alarms

The holy grail of home safety, the tried and tested burglar alarm is perhaps the most popular and common form of home security in the UK.

At IDS, our cutting-edge intruder alarm systems are specifically designed to keep your home safe using the latest digital signalling equipment.

IDS can provide design, installation and maintenance of your home intruder alarm system for ultimate peace of mind, ensuring your system is installed correctly and always in full, working order.

Surveillance Cameras

Whether you’re looking to install traditional CCTV or hi-tech digital IP cameras, you can rest assured that our surveillance technology is top of the line and state-of-the-art.

Our expert team of installers can help you set up a security camera system that’s appropriate and fitting for your property.

Ranging from simple one-camera setup to multi-camera networks, we can provide your home with the level of security needed to suit your property.

Access Control

Providing technologically-advanced door entry solutions for your property, our access control systems provide electronic and magnetic door release for ultimate security.

Limiting entry through your chosen method of access – from smart card and key fobs to intercoms and biometrics – you can secure anything from a single internal door to multiple points of entry.

Fire Protection Systems

In addition to intruder security measures, we also offer protection from fire hazards as well in the form of our fire alarm systems.

Utilising state-of-the-art fire detection technology, our specialist fire alarms provide unrivalled reliability and reassurance, installed by expert fitters with a wealth of industry experience.

Our maintenance package also includes a 24/7 monitoring service with a round-the-clock call-out service included.

What are you waiting for? Add value to your property today with home security from IDS. Call now on 029 20 753 251 for more information or click the button below to enquire online.

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When it comes to door entry systems there is no hard and fast answer about which is the 'best' one out there. The best door entry system for you depends on the why and where you plan to install it. Here are a few things to bear in mind if you're trying to decide which door entry system is the best for you.

Location

Commercial - If you're a business owner there are a few things to consider when you choose a door entry system:

• Which door entry system will be most efficient for your employees?
• Which system will provide the desired level of security commercial property?
• Which locations need to be secured around the premises?

Residential - A homeowner's worst nightmare is burglary or theft. Here's what you should consider before choosing the best door entry system for your home:

• How many people will be using it?
• What level of security do you prefer for your home?
• How much do you want to spend?

Best types of door entry system

Once you've considered the answers to the above questions, it's time to decide what type of door entry system is best for you! Let's take a look at some of the door entry systems we offer and explore why they might be the best for your property...

Key Fob Security Systems

• One of the simpler door entry systems on the market, key fob security systems are easy for everyone to use. You'll often find key fob door entry systems outside blocks of flats, although they can be useful when employees need to pop in and out of the office frequently too.

Video Door Entry System

• Ideal for monitoring your property while you're away, our video door entry systems are the best for residential properties. You can see who's ringing your doorbell without having to answer the door, and you can keep a close eye on people behaving suspiciously.

Security Barriers

• Security barriers are a physical blockade between your property and the outside world. Generally, this might be considered a bit of a strange choice for a residential property where most people would install a gate or fence.  Security barriers work wonders in private car parks, making them the best door entry system for commercial properties. 

Do you need more help choosing the best door entry system for your property? Speak to one of our advisors today, we're more than happy to help. Call us on 029 20 753 251 now.