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KEYTEK™ SHOP COMPETITION

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*off usual shop price

KeytekShop Summer Sale

Hurry the KeytekShop Summer Sale ends Sunday!

Moving Home Hassle Free

How to move home securely

Moving home is said to be one of the most stressful times of our lives. Issues with paperwork, solicitors’ appointments, estate agents and then the worry of the sale potentially falling through are some of the factors that add to the stress of the ordeal. After possibly one of your most expensive purchases, comes the much anticipated move involving more exercise than you’ve probably done all year. Once all is over and you’ve finally settled into your new home, comes a vital part that many people either forget or disregard... the importance of having the locks changed on your new property.

If you think of your current house key and how many people you know that have a spare, it becomes slightly worrying when you realise you have no idea how many people could have a key to your new home. Changing the locks when you move home should be a basic security precaution for every home owner, but this is still something many people forget or possibly never do. As well as leaving your home and its contents potentially unsecure, many insurance companies will not pay out if an intruder gains entry using a key, as there generally needs to be clear signs of breaking and entering.

When moving home and changing the locks there are a few things you should consider. You should check with your insurance company prior to the change to make sure they don’t have any minimum requirements. Many insurance companies will require you to have a tried and tested British standard lock fitted to your door and your locks changed can be fairly expensive making this an important requirement to double check, prior to a locksmith attending your property. When getting your locks changed/upgraded, it may also be worth investing in a key safe. Key safes are a fantastic way of storing spare keys; meaning you won’t run the risk of being locked out. You also have the security of knowing that the key is safe, especially since nearly 20% of people still hide their spare keys in an area of their garden in places many intruders will know to look.  If you are interested in buying a key safe, take a look at www.keytekshop.co.uk.

Whilst the locksmith is changing the locks, it’s a good idea to have a security check completed on your home at this point. Potential intruders could enter the property through a window so if you’re missing any window keys or the locks are looking a little old, it’s a good idea to have these checked also. These simple tips and considerations can help you enjoy your new home with no worries or shocks in or out of the house. If you would like to read any more information on home security and locksmith services, our website has lots of useful information! 

You can visit our website by going to www.keytek.co.uk. Or if after reading this blog you need your locks changing, call us now on 0800 035 0451! 

How vulnerable is your home

There are many different reasons why a burglar may break in to your home, although some are opportunistic whereby they will take the opportunity when it arises i.e. a door or window is left open, others will scope out your property beforehand. Therefore it is important to evaluate the security of your home to ensure your home isn’t targeted by a burglar whether it is opportunistic or pre-planned.

Ask yourself the following questions when evaluating the security of your home:

·         Are the locks on any doors and windows visible?

By making sure these are visible will help to deter a burglar as they will be able to see it will be harder to break in.

·         Are any doors or windows left open, even if it isn’t easy to access them?

Make sure all doors and windows are locked before leaving your home.

·         Ensure all your windows are locked and closed at night

When closing up your windows for the night ensure they are all locked and securely shut. If any small top windows are accidently left open or open to let in cold air overnight a burglar can easily reach through and open a large window internally.

·         Do you have any lights with sensors fitted to the exterior of your property?

Fitting lights with sensors to the outside of your home will ensure your home is well lit if an intruder was to approach your property. These will not only help to alert you and your neighbours but may deter an intruder from breaking into your home as they tend to be confident when working in the dark.

·         Is the front of your home visible from the road?

Having high walls and hedges can give a burglar protection from being seen therefore making sure your home is visible is important.

·         Is accessing your home noisy?

Consider having gravel placed on your driveway as it is impossible to walk on gravel without making a noise. The more difficult you make it for a burglar to access your home without making a noise the less likely you are to be a victim of burglary.

·         When you are on holiday or away from your home is it obvious that your home is unoccupied?

Make sure that when you are going to be away from your home for a long period of time that you do the following:

-          Ask a trusted neighbour, friend or family member to keep an eye on your home whilst you’re away. Ask them to open and close curtains etc so that it appears that your home is occupied.

-          Cancel any deliveries such as the newspaper or milk.

-          Use the Royal Mail’s Keepsafe service to hold any letters or parcels whilst you’re away to avoid any post piling up whilst your home is unoccupied.

·         Are there any ladders or equipment lying around that can be used by a burglar to gain entry to your home?

Make sure that any ladders or equipment that could be used to break in to your home are stored securely in a locked garage or shed.

Make sure you check out www.keytekshop.co.uk’s wide range of burglary deterrents to protect your home from opportunistic burglars!   

We built a shop!!!

So its launch day! Locks, shopping carts and logos have been the topic of conversation here in the

Keytek™ office the last couple of months, as we continue to look for ways to improve our services and our customer needs by offering better access to excellent security products.  In the recent months we’ve been doing just that with the creation of our first online lock shop, which you may have heard about from our recent blogs and on our social media. After months of hard work we are all very excited to announce the launch of our new online shop, Keytek shop, now security really can be brought to your door, quite literally!

The project started back in March 2015 when we felt we needed to offer our customers a means of improving their security at home with great products. The idea of not only providing a locksmithing service for changing your locks and emergency call outs, but also to pass on our knowledge and recommendations to help you purchase new security items for your home from a trusted and respected  brand. Keytekshop has been packed with all the best security products we could find ranging from Yale laptop safes to intruder deterrents to decoy safes in the shape of soup cans, all on a simple, clear shopping platform. With Keytekshop, improving your home security couldn’t be easier. However if you do struggle, or are not quite sure we’ve added in a helpful online chat service with an expert on hand to help you with choosing the right product. So go on over to our shop and have a look through our range of products to see what you can find to help secure the things you love and as a gift on us we are giving you 20% off on ALL products on our site and free delivery on orders over £40.

Also don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter if you would like to receive offers, promotions and useful tips on improving your home security. More information and advice on the products we stock can be found at keytekshop.co.uk         

Flats and Apartments Home Security

Keep your flat and apartment secure with these handy home security tips!

1. Get the locks changed

When moving into a new flat or apartment it is important that you have the locks changed. Failure to do so could result in your home being vulnerable to a break-in by someone who may have obtained a key during the previous ownership or tenancy. If the property is rented always make sure you seek the landlord’s permission before changing the locks.

2. Communal door security

When evaluating the security of the communal entry to your flat or apartment building always make sure that fire regulations take precedence and if you are in doubt of this the Police advise contacting your local Fire Officer and your local police Crime Prevention Officer.

3. Fit a wireless alarm

It is always a good idea to think about what additional home security can be fitted to ensure you are taking the necessary precautions to protect your home and equally as important yourself. As part of the ‘Easy Fit’ range, Yale has developed an alarm specifically designed for those living in a flat or apartment. The Yale Easy Fit Apartment Alarm is a keypad operated system that when triggered a loud internal siren will sound and alert others of an intrusion.

4. Fit a letterbox guard

A letterbox guard or cage will help to prevent an intruder from using a letterbox to gain access to your flat or apartment. It will also help to prevent a method used by burglars to gain entry called ‘key fishing’ where they will use some sort of makeshift device, usually made from household items, to fish your keys from your door lock or where they are hung up.

5. Fit a door viewer

Have a door viewer fitted so you can see who is calling before opening the door which helps you to keep out any unwanted visitors.      

New Year Security Resolutions – Time to be more security conscious...

As part of your New Year’s resolution for 2014 it may be worth thinking about being more security conscious when it comes to the security of your home. 

 

When considering how you may want to upgrade the security of your home it is always a good idea to think like a potential intruder. The majority of intruders will look for the best opportunity to break into a property, some will even scope out a property prior to breaking in. Therefore it is important to think about how you can ensure that your property appears as if it is occupied at all times and that there isn’t anywhere external to your home anyone could hide i.e. high hedges or bins. 

Which advises that you ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it obvious when you're on holiday or away from the home? For example, are your curtains always shut or is there lots of unopened post?

• Are windows and doors left open, even if they're not easily accessible?

• Do your windows and doors have visible locks?

• How well lit is the outside of your home?

• Is there a spare key that’s easily visible, or easy to find, such as underneath the plant pot or above the ledge on the door?

• Are the lights on or off all the time, making it look like you're away?

• Do you have high walls and hedges, which could give burglars protection from being seen?

• Is accessing your house noisy for a burglar? For example, is there gravel?

• Are there any ladders lying around that a burglar could use?

• What equipment do you keep in your shed and garage? What is its value and can it be used to help someone break in?

• How secure is the shed or garage? Is it always kept locked with high-quality padlocks and security locks?

Additional Security Measures

How many of us actually use additional security in our homes? According to figures by Which only 38% of Which members had extra locks fitted to their doors and 32% use a door chain. 

As well as having an extra lock or door chain fitted it is also advisable you have the following fitted to your door:

• Spy-hole – Keep out any unwanted visitors! A spy-hole offers 180 degrees of vision allowing you to identify callers before opening the door.

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• Hinge Bolts –Mortice fitted hinge bolts are designed primarily for outward opening hinged wooden doors. These offer added protection against forcing the door hinges and are automatically engaged when the door is closed.

• Mortice Bolts – These are suitable for side and back doors as well as French doors. These are fitted to the top and bottom of the door and the bolts are not visible from the outside.

• Letterbox guard/cage – These can be fitted to prevent ‘key fishing’ i.e. a burglar using props such as a coat hanger or fishing rod to hook keys on the inside of the door (Aviva).
  
  
  
  

Other additional security measures you may want to consider...

• Security lights - Lights with sensors in the garden and front of your property will help to deter a burglar as they are more confident when working in the dark.

• Key Safe - A Key Safe is a secure box where you can safely and securely store your keys without having to hide them or to rely on a neighbour or family member to look after them.  

• Leave a light on a timer on if when you are not at home as it will act as it will look like the home is occupied. Other products on the market such as ‘Fake TV’ also act as a good deterrent as these products make it look like someone is watching TV.

• Upgrade the locks on any garages or sheds and if there is a window fit a curtain to ensure a burglar cannot see what is inside.

When having any additional security fitted to your home it is always a good idea to call an accredited locksmith. An accredited locksmith will be able to do a security and insurance compliance check on your home and they will be more than happy to upgrade your home security for your peace of mind in 2014.

If you missed our ‘The 12 Security Tips of Christmas’ over the Holiday period then read them again here for further security advice and tips.

Tip 9 of The 12 Security Tips of Christmas

The ninth tip of our ‘The 12 Security Tips of Christmas’...

“Lights with sensors in the garden and front of your property will help to deter a burglar as they are more confident when working in the dark.”

As the nights draw darker, during the winter months it is really worth considering installing motion detector lights externally to your home.

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Considering that the majority of burglaries take place during the night, 56% of recorded burglaries happen at night according to Tesco Compare, it is definitely a good idea to have security lights fitted to your property as these can help to deter a burglar from breaking into your home, as they are less likely to feel confident breaking into a property that is well-lit. The majority of Police Forces will advise this as an additional security measure, “consider fitting outside security lighting or a visible alarm to help deter burglars” (Thames Valley Police). Thames Valley Police also advise “using pea shingle or gravel on a driveway and spiky plants in garden beds”.    

Tip 8 of The 12 Security Tips of Christmas

The eighth tip of our ‘The 12 Security Tips of Christmas’...

“Keep out any unwanted guests – it is always a good idea to have a spy hole or door chain fitted to your front door especially in the holiday season where you are more than likely to receive more visitors to your home.”

When evaluating the security of your home it is important to consider that you may need additional security such as a spy hole or door chain, which will not only improve the security of your home by allowing you to keep out unwanted guests but will also add to your peace of mind. The Metropolitan Police advises that a spy hole and door chain or even a limiter should be fitted for added safety and security as “these will enable you to deal with callers to your front door whilst retaining a level of security.” 

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