Insurers are warning the British public not to drop their guard during the Royal Wedding week. It is likely that at least 40% of the population will be away from home, either taking advantage of the unexpected break, or joining family for the event. Another 21% are planning celebrations at home or intending to take part in street parties on the day.
This is what worries the insurers: empty homes attract burglars. It’s the perfect time for break-ins, when whole neighbourhoods are engaged in celebrations and people are not on the look-out for suspicious activity. If you are going away, take extra care not to advertise this to your local criminal fraternity. Piles of post visible on the doormat through a glass front door, or flyers sticking out of the letterbox are a giveaway. A perfectly tidy house is also an advertisement for its owners’ absence – leaving a newspaper out on the sofa, mugs on the coffee table, and washing-up on the draining board could help to deter a wary burglar. If you possibly can, ask your neighbours to pop in to pick up the post and switch lights on and off.
We also need to keep an eye on our security on Royal Wedding day when many of us will be hosting parties for friends and family - in the garden, if the weather holds. We all tend to leave patio doors and side entrances open when we have a big gathering, and opportunistic thieves take advantage of this. It is the work of a moment for a burglar to slip in and grab your valuables while everyone is enjoying the barbecue or watching the guests arrive on television, so take care to lock any doors and windows you can’t see from the garden.
Another insurance concern is the way accidental damage claims rise at holiday times. A group of people gathered under one roof having a good time inevitably means a surge in breakages and damage. There’s not much you can do about the spills and trodden-in crisps, but it might be prudent to remove fragile ornaments and roll up valuable rugs before the party starts. It is probably not the ideal time to show off your irreplaceable family china, either…
We hope you have a wonderful day on April 29th. Enjoy the wedding and keep your home safe.
