Don’t lower your home defences in Spring
Whassup! Yes, I know that’s a reference that’s 20 years out of date, but if Theresa May can say “Simples” in the House of Commons then I can bring back ad slogans from the 1990s too. Count yourself lucky I didn’t go a further 20 years back and bring out the secret lemonade drinker song or the “For mash, get Smash” jingle. Although I just did. Anyway, you may have noticed I’ve had a commercial break of my own from this blog the last couple of months whilst getting on with regular exciting stuff like work and life, but now normal service has been resumed. Like a new-born lamb, I have emerged, blinking into the spring sunshine. But please don’t think I’ve been inside a sheep for the last couple of months – that’s where the analogy rather breaks down.
Anyway, since you brought up the subject of lambs and springtime in general, let’s have a little chat about that today. The spring, that is – not the lambs, as I’m not a qualified vet and nor do I have much of an interest in any sheep that aren’t created by Aardman and named Shaun (top TV series and film, by the way –should you require any high brow criticism on these pages).
Spring is often a time when we lower our defences when it comes to home security. During the winter we’ve had the house shut up to keep the heat in and the cold out, but come March and April, people are inclined to open up windows and doors to let in the fresh breeze and give the house a good airing to get rid of the musty winter smells than have built up. An excellent idea, I’m sure, but please take precautions. Like daffodils, burglars also come out to enjoy the spring sunshine, and unlike the former, they’re not content to just hang about in your garden looking pretty. They’re on the lookout for easy pickings, and a large unwatched open window is the easiest of these pickings.
Be careful when opening windows
I’m not saying don’t open windows – obviously that would be silly, and how else would you manage to write a document in Word or Excel (you see what I did there…), but there are ways of getting in fresh air whilst still maintaining decent security. Perhaps just open one of the smaller windows – one where the aperture is not great enough for anyone to gain entry. Some windows are able to be locked even when open, so that they can’t be opened or closed further without a key, and this is a facility that should be used where possible. You can also ensure that you only open windows in rooms where there will be someone present to notice if any break-in attempts are made. This is particularly relevant if you mainly live on one side of the house (front or back) – if you leave a window open on the side which you don’t frequently inhabit, there is a greater risk of a) someone gaining access, and b) you not discovering there has been a break-in until hours later, by which time the culprit could be many miles away.
As a side note – I know I’m mainly concerned with properties, but the above advice holds fast for cars too. An open window on a vehicle parked on your drive is just as tempting as an open window in the house. I know cars get hot in the warmer months but leaving a window open could result in the whole vehicle disappearing which is bound to make you a whole lot more hot and bothered than a few minutes of feeling slightly warm as you drive off. This advice should naturally be ignored if there are any people or animals left in the car!
Always lock tools safely in a garage or shed
Spring is also when many of us rediscover our gardens. Go, on, open your kitchen blinds – I bet it’ll still be there. Soon there will come the day when you decide, with renewed motivation to make this the year that you become Yorkshire’s very own Capability Brown or Alan Titchmarsh and make that garden a paradise to be admired throughout the land. Or at least keep the grass down to below a foot long anyway. Take care though, of that new lawnmower, those fancy new spades and forks and that spanking new BBQ, as these items become very attractive to thieves in the summer months. Before you collapse on the sofa at the end of the day, save yourself a couple of minute’s energy to enable yourself to shut everything away securely, with lawnmowers and tools locked safely up in garages or sheds, fitted with locks that are fit for purpose.
Don’t forget too, to keep doors locked whilst working in your garden. So many burglaries take place when the house is actually occupied but distracted elsewhere. We know how loud lawn mowers are, so if you’re planning on spending half an hour cutting the grass, make sure your front door is properly locked and secure, along with any other entry points to your property. You’re unlikely to hear any break-in whilst mowing the lawn, and it would only take an intruder a moment to walk in to your house unnoticed and make off with your valuables. An unlocked door is another free win for any burglar.
I’m hoping I haven’t put you off enjoying the upcoming sunshine (if it materialises), but by taking extra care during these months you’ll help to ensure that, in terms of being the victim of household crime, your chances of an eventful springtime are kept to a minimum.