Most homeowners in Ireland are very security conscious in their homes, with many having a range of security features in place to better protect themselves and their properties.
The security measures that homeowners are most diligent about include locking all doors and windows (79% ), turning on their alarm when leaving the house (39% ), and leaving lights/radio on or using timers when they go out (36% ). However, 9% of those surveyed admitted to being a little inconsistent about turning on the house alarm, while a further 6% claimed that they are lax when it comes to their home and inconsistent about locking doors/windows. These are some of the key findings of a survey from Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC (Aviva ), which polled 1,000 people nationwide on their attitude to home security.
Other security measures that homeowners have in place to protect their properties and their valuables include having a dog (29% ), using a video doorbell (12% ), have a video security system outside the house (13% ), and a video security system inside the house (10% ).
The Aviva survey found that:
Those in the older age cohort of 55+ were more careful across a range of security measures including locking all doors and windows (83% ), turning on the alarm when leaving the home (42% ), and leaving lights/radio on or using timers when they go out (42% ).
Men (30% ) were more likely to have a dog than women at 27%, while women (35% ) claimed to leave lights/radio on v’s 23% of men.
“It is great to see the high percentage of homeowners who exercise caution by having a broad range of measures in place to secure their properties and valuables. According to data issued by the Central Statistics Office (CSO ) in early October last year, over 9,000 homes experienced a burglary in the previous 12 months and, even though the national burglary rate decreased by 8%, some counties experienced significant increases in the number of reported break-ins. Sligo and Leitrim recorded the highest increase (25% ), Mayo the second highest at 17%, with Cork west having the highest decrease in the rate of burglaries at -28%.
“The above statistics, which represent a mixed bag of fortunes for homeowners, only serve to emphasise the importance of not being complacent and ensuring that they don’t make it easy for the opportunistic burglar," Julie Frazer, Aviva, said.
Home insurance
While 35% of homeowners claimed that the main reason for taking out home insurance was because their mortgage provider insisted that they do, most (52% ) did so for fear that the house could burn down. Other key reasons for taking out insurance included the fear of being broken into (43% ), fear of accidental damage around the home (42% ) and substantial damage by a floor or weather event (37% ).
“Having insurance cover in place will always provide peace of mind that our homes and valuables are protected in the event of something happening. Homeowners are encouraged to review their cover annually as there has been a significant increase in rebuilding costs over the last couple of years. A rebuild calculator on the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland’s (SCSI ) website is available using current rebuild costs. Homeowners who have completed energy efficient upgrades in their homes which have increased the value of the home should also be factored into the building sum insured that they select,” Frazer concluded.
