Safe house

Boost your home security with a smart mix of cool technology, Mother Nature and good old-fashioned cunning…

Domestic Science

Don’t let James Bond have all the fun - there are loads of hi-tech tricks to stop villains in their tracks…

Crime watch

With a 007-style total defence system, watch over your property even if you’re thousands of miles away. Use a laptop, linked to internet-enabled cameras installed in your house, to ‘patrol’ the corridors. You can even turn lights on and off for that ‘we’re at home’ effect. And if a thief beats the alarm sensors in your garden, he can be shocked into fleeing by security staff speaking remotely through hidden audio gear. Prices start at around £3,000. Try www.domus.uk.com

Candid camera

For just £500 and up, CCTV fed to your telly gives you the thrill of a vigilant night in watching the box for intruders.

Smoke detector

Triggered by a burglar alarm, the Smokecloak machine belches out artificial smoke, reducing a thief’s visibility to virtually zero. Installation from around £1,000.
www.smokecloak.com

Good timing

Lights, radios, TVs and stereos can all be activated by timers that cost less than a tenner a pop.

Light work

‘Always-on’ (dusk to dawn) security lights could be a bigger deterrent than the movement-activated ‘floodlight’ types that only come on once a burglar is on your property. It’s better to put the criminal off your home completely with an already illuminated garden. Expect to pay around £30 upwards.

Screen savers

A thief will trawl your hard drive for personal financial information before selling your computer. Block him out with passwords.

Natural Defence

Make invading your property a thorny problem for thieves with an arsenal of nature’s weapons.
Prickly holly bushes are perfect trouser rippers, and blackthorn hedges are pretty impenetrable.
Don’t allow your garden to become overgrown – you’re giving the bad boys natural cover.
The crunch of feet on gravel paths and drives could alert you to an intruder.

Mind Games

Be smart, get inside the criminal’s head – what does he think when he passes your house? What signals are you sending out? Open curtains with no nets could give him the ‘come in and help yourself’ message.

And don’t put your valuables on display. Just married? Congratulations, especially if you hide that mountain of lovely wedding presents from burglars. Okay, you might not want three toasters, but no need to give them away.

The same goes for Christmas. You’re drooling over your Corby trouser press while the kids go mad on the PlayStation and mum records the special moment on her flash new digital camera. Meanwhile a thief clocks the empty boxes by your bin and files your address for a future visit.

Off on holiday? With the Keepsafe system, the Royal Mail holds your post while you’re away, so avoiding that telltale pile of letters on your doormat.

www.royalmail.com

Why not Visit

Home security advice:
Neighbourhood Watch

www.neighbourhoodwatch.uk.com

Feel Good

If you’re celebrating a family wedding or Christmas, Direct Line will automatically increase your Home Contents cover (limits vary) so those treasured gifts are completely protected. You also have new for old cover, so we’ll replace stolen or damaged possessions with brand-new goodies.

Feel Safe

You can feel extra-safe and save money at the same time with security gear from leading experts selected by Direct Line. Save up to 40% on approved locks and bolts with IRM Bristol. A more secure home also means a 5% off your Direct Line contents insurance. Call IRM Bristol on 01454 321 311 for details.

You could also receive a discount of up to 40% on installation of an alarm system bought from Eastern Security. You’ll also be up for a 7.5% or a 12.5% discount on Direct Line contents insurance premiums, depending on the type of system you buy. Call 0845 246 0934.

Get an online home insurance quote now.

It is advisable to review your home insurance at least once a year. If you already have a Direct Line Home Insurance or Home Insurance Plus policy and would like to amend the sums insured under your policy, call us on 0845 246 8709.