Renovation burglaries: A warning to renovators
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OUR COMMUNITY MEMBER POSTING ABOUT HER BURGLARY
With more of us working from home than ever, opportunistic miscreants are desperate to find vacant properties, and renovations have plenty of visual indicators suggesting this is the case.
We recently had the unfortunate news that a couple of people in our renovation community had experienced break-ins.
Additionally, renovators in some areas are now being warned that a burglary is more of a “when” than an “if”.
We want to sound the alarm on this and take a look at how you can protect your renovation.
Prioritise door & window security
In our renovation, our 1930s front door was pretty much the first job we did. Was security the reason? Well, not really, it was mainly that it was previously leather and uPVC 🤮 plus we had to kick the door to open it, but in retrospect the upgrade probably enhanced our security.
Clearly, if your home’s access points are a bit dated, this could turn your place into a thief magnet. By getting these upgrades brought forward, you’ll gain a little piece of mind.
Communicate with your contractor
Scaffolding and skips are tell-tale signs to horrible opportunists so it's important to remain aware and talk to contractors to keep properties secure and no tools or valuables left onsite. One renovator in our community had copper pipes stolen, so items that aren’t obvious should also be removed from the property where possible.
Understand your liability and get insured
If you have contractors working on your project, they will likely have their own insurance. However, this will not provide cover for theft of materials you have paid for or damage to your property caused by a thief stealing your contractor’s tools.
We’ve teamed up with Renovation Plan whose Premier and Premier Plus insurance policies provide cover against theft for unfixed fixtures and fittings, along with those that could be forcibly removed from a property. When thinking about the risk of theft, renovators also need to be aware of the damage that might be caused to a property by a thief gaining entry. You can get a discount on these policies by entering the code FiFiMcGee2020 when you request a quote.
Make plenty of visits
During you renovation you’ll want to make as many visits as you can to keep up with the progress. Try to be there in the evenings and at random times so as not to create a pattern of comings and goings.
Install CCTV
It might seem a bit counterintuitive getting CCTV installed in a house that’s being renovated but as long as the scaffolding doesn’t obscure the view and it’s not readily accessible, you can install CCTV. If you’re worried about the rigmarole of wiring in a CCTV system, wireless systems are available for ‘lick and stick’ ease of installation.
Many systems cost £500+ but if you’re wanting a cheaper option without the compromises, the Ring system might be an option for you (make sure to get the battery powered option as your electricity supply is likely to be interrupted).
Put up signs
Tell potential burglars about your CCTV system by placing signs around the property, these ones from Amazon are a tiny investment vs the benefits they provide. Haven’t gotten around to buying your CCTV system yet? Install the signs anyway.
Make friends with the neighbours
It goes without saying that if you’re doing a renovation that you should take the time to ensure the neighbours keep cool about all of the mess, noise and dust. However, if you’re going to be away for any length of time, it would be a good shout to make them aware of who is going to be at the property and when so they can keep an eye on things.
The ‘lights on a timer’ trick
There are plenty of gadgets out there to time lights, but the simplest and cheapest would be to put an old (energy efficient) lamp or two in a couple of rooms, then purchase and set some electricity point timers and Bob’s your uncle….
