How to protect your home: Expert security tips

But depending on your circumstances, your security needs may be significantly different to others.

Here are some expert tips to help make your home as secure as possible.

Re-key those locks

Don’t assume that every former owner or renter of your new home is as trustworthy as you are. Unless your property is brand new, who knows how many sets of keys exist?

If you’re a renter, dozens of people may have lived there before you moved in.

No one except you should have the keys to unlock your house, so it’s worthwhile getting the locks re-keyed as soon as you move in. You should speak to your landlord or the property manager to ensure this is done.

You could also install a SMART lock which can be controlled by either an app or by keying in a secured pin number.

Get to know your neighbours

The apartment boom in most capital cities has changed the way many people live.

In buildings with dozens of apartments the sense of community can be lost, with residents and tenants keeping to themselves and not getting to know their neighbours, despite the fact that they spend hours every day just a few metres away.

So don’t be a stranger. Get to know the people who live in the apartments near yours, and introduce them to your partner and children, face-to-face. That way, if a stranger is attempting to gain access to your apartment, there’s a good chance someone will notice and either intervene or call the police.

Hide your key

It’s truly staggering how many people still hide a spare key in a pot plant by the front door, beneath a door mat or inside an easily accessible electrical box. Where’s the first place a burglar is going to look?

If you have a yard or live in the country, consider putting a spare key inside a key safe box.

For apartment dwellers, a magnetic key box that attaches to the underside of your car is a great idea, and keeps your spare key out of sight.

Get insurance

If a burglar does find a way into your house, you don’t want to be lumped with the full cost of paying for everything they carry out with them.

The cost of computers, iPads, smartphones, jewellery, TVs, cash and other easily pawned items quickly adds up, so it pays to get insurance.

Homeowners will usually have those items included on their home and contents insurance, but it’s worth checking. Renters though can receive cover for everything they own in the house up to a certain amount. Most policies will also cover you for fire damage.

Go high tech

A security system is probably your most overt defence against a break-in.

For homeowners, a full security system with in-house cameras, sensors and alarms might provide the level of security you need. For renters, who are restricted by landlord rules about what you can and can’t install within the property, options have always been somewhat limited.

But NRMA Insurance security expert Ross Mangano says newer app-based security systems give both owners and renters distinct options.

Owners can still install the usual array of security features, albeit with the advent of live video footage on their smartphones, while the smaller size and lack of permanent installation requirements of newer systems mean they’re now accessible for renters.

“For renting purposes, it’s definitely good as the customer may only be in their house for a short period of time. So if they need to move houses if it’s a six-month lease they can just take (the system) anywhere,” Mangano says. “It’s completely portable. Once the system is programmed you can re-install it anywhere.”