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Thumbturn Lock

The benefits of adding thumbturn locks to your holiday home

Thumbturn Lock Why consider thumbturn locks for your holiday home exit doors? Have you had that frustrating moment when you get to the door and can’t find your keys to get out? It can be annoying for a few minutes whilst you locate them. However imagine if this were to happen in the case of an emergency such as a fire. The consequences could be serious and even potentially fatal.

Now consider you’re on holiday, you don’t know the layout of the property as well as your own home. Chances are you and your belongings are all in a state of flux as you relax and unwind. Afterall you are on a well earned holiday. The chances of you knowing where your keys are or even where to look for them are diminished. The consequences of not finding your keys can be very significant. Especially so should you need to leave your holiday home in an emergency. This is where thumbturn locks come into their own!

Keeping your guests safe should an emergency happen

As a holiday homeowner the safety of your guests will be paramount to the service you offer them; you want them to have a great time and you want them to have a safe time.

The scenario we’ve painted may be one you think will never happen to your own guests and it’s certainly one we hope will never happen, but statistics show that fires or other emergencies can; in the past year there’s been nearly 700,000 call outs of fire brigades across the country, which is a staggering 1,900 every day.  261 people died over that period from fire related incidents.

Making it easier for your guests to escape with thumbturn locks

When escaping an emergency such as a fire in your holiday home speed is key. One way you can enable this is by fitting thumbturn locks on final exit doors. On the exterior of the door entry is still gained via a key, but on the inside the door can be quickly and easily unlocked with the turn of a knob.

This ultimately means you only need to use the key when leaving (to lock it) and entering (to unlock it) your property and is a key reason the device is supported and recommended by the emergency services. Considering appropriate means of easy escape, together with raising the alarm is a fundamental part of of any holiday home fire risk assessment.

Can thumbturn locks be fitted retrospectively?

The good news with these locks is that they can be easily be retro-fitted to your existing UPVC or composite doors in a matter of minutes. Speak to a locksmith for guidance on solutions for other types of doors. Remember that these locks are still going to secure your holiday home so we always recommend you use professional tradespeople to ensure that an appropriate solution is implemented.

If you would like to find a qualified locksmith in your area then please click on this link:

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For information on how we can help and support your holiday home business call us on 01237 429444.

 

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Key Safes - holiday home secure

Key Safes – the key to keeping your holiday home secure

Key Safes - holiday home secureAre you guilty of hiding the key to your holiday home under the mat or plant pot? There is another way of keeping your holiday home secure!

Whether your visitors are just ten minutes or a few days away from arrival, placing your holiday home keys in an insecure place like this can be risky and potentially make your cottage a target for opportunist thieves.

According to a study by LV (Liverpool Victoria), 19% of people admitted to leaving the keys to their property under a plant pot. And if that’s not daunting enough, police figures show that more than 6,000 homes burglaries in a single year were as a result of thieves using keys!

But is there a viable alternative when guests are coming and going on a regular basis? The good news is yes, there is, and it comes in the form of a key safe.

Before you go ahead and install one, here are some key things to consider….

A mechanical key safe approved by the police

One of the UK’s leading producers of key safes, the Key Safe Company, has created the first-ever mechanical key safe to achieve UK police approval.

The Supra C500 has been subject to vigorous testing and as a result, is the only type of key safe to receive the LPS 1175 Level 1 certificate, making it an accepted form of security by many insurance companies.

Please visit keysafe.co.uk/ to find out more about the Supra C500.

Where should it be installed?

Key safes should be located on an exterior wall, concealed where possible, but not hidden to the point your visitors can’t find it when they arrive (be sure to include instructions and information as to the whereabouts of the safe within your pre-holiday communications).

Use a specialist locksmith or professional installer to install your key safe to ensure it’s secure and effective.

If you’re installing your own, be aware that it must be fixed into brick or dense concrete rather than breezeblock or soft mortar.

Regularly update your key safe codes

There’s little point in having a key safe if you never change the code. It’s good practice that periodically you, your housekeeper or cleaner is tasked with doing this, potentially between changeovers.

Remember you’ll always need to let your next guest know the code before they arrive!

Protect yourself

If your holiday home is due to be unoccupied for a lengthy period of time it makes sense to arrange for the keys to be removed from the safe. Leaving them for prolonged periods could be a security risk in itself.

Am I covered?

An important question to check is ‘am I protected by my insurers?’

Although many insurance companies are now accepting the use of key safes within their policies, some may have certain fitting conditions, combination code requirements, etc.

Always check to make sure you’re covered before investing in and installing a key safe.

Talk to an expert

For more information about key safes we highly recommend you talk to a specialist locksmith or reputable company such as Key Safe.

It’s not practical to expect your holiday home guests to keep your holiday home secure in the same manner that you would, they may not lock every window whilst they go out for the day so look for a holiday home insurance policy such as that offered by Boshers that does not require evidence of forceful of violent entry in the event of a theft claim. At Boshers we understand that key safes are in common use at holiday homes, whist we expect you to take care in the manner which you use an operate a key safe at your holiday home our policy does not have any specific conditions specifying how they’re used.

If you have any questions or queries regarding the insurance cover you have in place or if you require a quotation from a specialist for your holiday home insurance please give one of our experienced team a call on 01237 429444.

This holiday home security article has been created as generic guidance for holiday home, cottage and holiday cottage complex owners and does not constitute security or insurance advice. If you have any questions relating to holiday home security and the prevention of thefts at your holiday cottage you should take advice. 

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Holiday Home Security

Essential guide to holiday home security

Holiday Home SecurityHoliday homeowners often face a unique set of circumstances when it comes to holiday home security; you could live a good distance from your property, it may be unoccupied for periods during the year and you’ll ultimately have no control over how security conscious and diligent your guests remain when they’re in relaxation mode on their holiday.

Whilst latest Government figures show the rate of UK robberies is at an all time low, now is a great time of the year to be taking a look at what security you have in place, and how you communicate this vigilance with your guests.

In this essential guide to holiday home security we give you a few simple steps you can put in place in order to make sure that your cottage is as secure as possible…

Windows and Doors

The majority of thieves are opportunists and holiday homes can provide them with an abundance of potential opportunities. Your guests will stay in their droves during the summer months when temperatures are higher, leading to the temptation of leaving windows wide open when away from the property. Combine this with the fact they’ll spend the majority of the time away from your cottage and you’ve got an unoccupied home with little defence.

3 out of 10 burglaries are committed without using force; whilst the majority of visitors will treat your cottage like their own, consider adding a friendly request to secure all windows and doors before leaving the property, and also consider any communication that you could display near windows, particularly if they’re located on the ground floor.

Locks

Adding locks to windows throughout your holiday home can be another line of defence. An insurer may want to know what security systems you have in place to see if they meet conditions for external and internal doors. A five-lever mortice deadlock conforming to the British Standard 3621 is highly recommend, if not one of a higher spec.

For extra peace of mind windows could also be fitted with key operated locks with handles that are multi locking and conform to British Standards.

Key Safes

Changeover or periods during which your holiday home is unoccupied could be potential targets for burglars. If you don’t already have one, consider the use of a key safe to secure your holiday home keys for the convenience of your visitors.

For more information on the first ever police approved key safe please take a read of our blog post here:

Keeping an eye out

We’ve said that these periods can be a target, so how often do you visit the property to ensure everything is in order? If you live a good distance from your holiday home consider having a neighbour, or cleaner make regular checks on your property, especially during vacant periods. This can be useful not only from a security perspective, but also highlight any maintenance issues during the busy season.

Holiday letting agents will also be able to keep you well informed on these aspects and may even offer an inspection service or point you in the direction of someone who does..

Burglar Alarms

According to Yale, 60% of burglaries are on homes that have inactive alarm systems.

So does your holiday home have an active alarm, particularly when you don’t have any guests? We advise talking to alarm specialists about what type of alarm you should use and highly recommend asking a registered company to install it.

Visit the National Security Inspectorate website at www.nsi.org.uk to find a registered specialist near you.

Property contents

It’s vital that you have contents insurance in place, but do you know exactly what contents are in your holiday home? If you only visit the property infrequently it may be some time before you realise that items have been removed from your cottage.

Make a list of items inside your holiday home and also consider taking photographs of where they are located (this can be useful for future reference should there be any issues).

Property marking is an additional way of protecting items of particular value and will make it harder for thieves to sell on. Methods include UV pens, etching and forensic marking. Talk to your local police and council to find out if they run any workshops in the area.

Holiday home insurance

Do pay attention to any security conditions in your holiday home insurance policy and ensure that you have the correct holiday home security in place. Whilst it is good practice to have all the above security measures in place, our underwriters will not generally require minimum security measures to be in place unless your contents sums insured are substantial. It’s not practical to expect your holiday home guests to lock every window whilst they go out for the day so look for a holiday home insurance policy that does not require evidence of forceful of violent entry in the event of a theft claim.

If you have any questions or queries regarding the insurance cover you have in place or if you require a quotation from a specialist for your holiday home insurance please give one of our experienced team a call on 01237 429444.

This holiday home security article has been created as generic guidance for holiday home, cottage and holiday cottage complex owners and does not constitute security or insurance advice. If you have any questions relating to holiday home security and the prevention of thefts at your holiday cottage you should take advice. 

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Key Safe holiday home

You, Your Holiday Home, Your Holiday Home Insurance and Key Safes

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Security precautions when installing Key Safes at your holiday home. You, your holiday home, your holiday home insurance and key safes Firstly check with your holiday home insurance broker that the use of Key Safes is acceptable. There may be specific warranties that you will need to adhere to in order not to invalidate your holiday home insurance cover.

Key Safes - holiday home secure

The use of a good quality Key Safe to help manage access to your property by guests on arrival is by far the best alternative to leaving a key under the doormat or a nearby flower pot! By taking a few sensible precautions, the use of a Key Safe at your holiday home will enhance your guests holiday experience and make life easier for you and your holiday letting agent.

Guidance for holiday home owners on the use of key safes

  1. Purchase the best quality Key Safe that your budget allows, preferably with a 5 – 7 digit code
  2. Where possible locate your Key Safe out of sight
  3. During installation of your Key Safe ensure that it is bolted firmly into brick or stone, avoiding soft mortar
  4. Arrange with your housekeeper to leave a door key in the Key Safe no more than 24 hours before the guests are due to arrive
  5. Encourage your guests not to leave Keys in the Key Safe during their stay
  6. Have your housekeeper remove the keys from the Key Safe within 24 hours of the guests departure, unless new guests are arriving
  7. Ask your housekeeper to change the 5 -7 digit code between lets, to a new code which you or your agent can inform your next guests of
  8. Do not allow keys to be left permanently in a Key Safe during periods of unoccupancy

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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