On Sunday 27th October the clocks go back, which means it's time to update your home security routine. When the dark nights draw in, there's often an influx of house robberies and car thefts as criminals take advantage of the earlier dusk.

Securing your possessions is of utmost importance at this time of year. Many of us are starting our Christmas shopping, and nothing screams 'easy target' to a criminal more than the brand new PlayStation you've haphazardly left in the boot of your car. Taking a little extra time to make sure your home and vehicles aren't vulnerable can make all the difference, but this isn't the only step you should take. Let's dive into some other important precautions...

Light it Up

A great way to give the illusion that someone is home is by leaving a couple of lights on around the house. Worried about your energy bills? Try plugging your lamps into timer switches or switch to energy-efficient bulbs.

Similarly, pick a parking spot that's in a well-lit area rather than parking your car in the shadows. Burglars are far more likely to target cars in secluded side streets! You could even add external lighting to your home or driveway to keep these areas safe and sound. 

Lock and Check

Make sure easily accessible windows, doors and gates are locked before you head out. Taking five minutes to whip around your house and garden to double-check everything is secure will save you days of stress and heartache when you come home to a house that's been ravaged by burglars. 

Keep an Eye

For an added layer of security, why not consider adding CCTV inside or outside your home? Speak to our advisors about adding CCTV that can be remotely accessed from your mobile phone wherever you are. Even if you're working late one night or visiting a Christmas market, you'll be able to keep a close eye on your home & belongings! 

Intruder Alert!!

A great alternative to a CCTV camera is an intruder alarm. We offer intruder alarms with 24/7 monitoring packages, so if someone did attempt a break-in, we'd be on the case immediately. Concerned the police wouldn't get there in time? We use the latest digital signalling equipment to make sure the relevant emergency service units are contacted automatically if an incident was to occur. 

If you'd like to speak to a member of the IDS team about improving your home security before winter truly takes hold, get in touch! 

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When it comes to home security, it's always best to be better safe than sorry. Whether it’s setting up a security camera, installing a burglar alarm or simply keeping your valuables out of view from the window, there are many simple steps you can take to secure your home. 

Here at IDS we're passionate about home security, and we’ve got a handful of additional safety measures we'd like to share with you that you can easily implement to make your property as safe as possible.

Home Security Tips

When it comes to securing your home, there are various different actions you can take, including: 

1. Install a home alarm system
2. Add a deadbolt to your door
3. Add a home CCTV camera 
4. Keep spare keys in a lock box
5. Password protect your WiFi 
6. Store valuables in a safe
7. Add motion detection lights
8. Store valuable items out of sight from windows

Here at IDS Security we're experts in home security and have been offering home security solutions for over 20 years. If you'd like to read more about our home security systems, click the link below!

Home Security System

Garden Security Tips

The garden is one of the primary gateways to your home. As such, it’s also a key area when it comes to home safety. Opportunistic burglars can prey on those with poor security in their gardens, making the most of dark and shadowy areas. Consider making these small changes to your outside space in order to keep your property as secure as possible:

1) Lock Your Outbuildings

An unlocked outbuilding is like a cartoon pie cooling on a windowsill – it’s the dream sight for an opportunist and really is asking for trouble. Whether you own a shed, summer house or garden room, any kind of detachable outbuilding will be a prime target for petty thieves.

This can prove to be particularly costly when it comes to outbuildings like workshops, which are likely to house expensive items, machinery and materials. What’s more, these outbuildings could also provide burglars with the tools they need to break into your actual house, whether it’s a ladder, a crowbar or even a shovel.

Keep your outbuildings secured with a padlock and consider accessorising with an alarm. If windows are present, ensure they are all equipped with sturdy locks or seal shut permanently.

2) Secure Your Bike

Bikes are one of the most commonly stolen items from the home. Keeping your bike secure might not seem like the most important home security tip, but it can cause a real inconvenience - especially if you use your bike to get to work.

If you own a bike, you’ll be all too aware that a good one isn’t cheap. Protect your investment by buying a bike store for your garden. Bike boxes make for the perfect hideaway for your two-wheeled transport. Secure with the appropriate padlocks for the ideal concealed area for you and your families bicycles.

3) Immobilise Your Car

It’s not just your two-wheeled transportation you should be concerned with either; your motorised vehicles can be just as tempting to thieves. While you may think your car is safe when it’s stored on your drive or parked in a well-lit street, that’s not always the case. Here are some home security tips to keep your automobile safe and secure.

Installing a security post or bollard on your drive can be a fantastic way to ensure your car stays put where you parked it. At IDS Security, we specialise in a variety of barrier systems, including rising bollards that can be perfect for driveway use at residential properties.

4) Anchor Garden Valuables

It’s amazing what criminals will steal in the hopes of financial gain, from children’s toys and outdoor furniture to plant pots and garden gnomes.

The front garden is particularly at risk from such theft, given its open nature. As such, it’s a good idea to secure your garden valuables by tying them down in place with cable ties.

5) Upgrade Your Gate

A haggard, old gate isn’t worth the rusted hinge it hangs on, while a damaged wooden fence that barely stands may as well be a revolving door. Metal gates are a great solution, providing visibility and durability in equal measure. If you prefer a wooden alternative, aim for a fence with a trellis panel at the top.

The opaque body of the fence will prevent snooping eyes, while the trellis top won’t be strong enough to support a climbing intruder, posing the risk of injury and/or discovery. For heightened home security, adding an additional padlock is a wise move, ensuring your gate remains shut when you want it to be.

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For more home security tips on keep you home safe, check out our blog on “Common Home Security Mistakes”, or "Home Security System Maintenance" Knowledge is power and knowing what NOT to do can go a long way.

If you have any additional safety queries or are interested in implementing IDS Security options in your home, why not get in touch today? Call now on 029 20 753 251 or drop us a line using the link below.

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When it comes to home security, there’s no such thing as being too careful.

According to the Office of National Statistics, from April 2017 to March 2018, 14% of all domestic burglaries in Wales and England involved an unlocked door and 7% involved an open window, while 4% saw entry with an actual key.

Even more concerning, the front door was used as the point of entry for 52% of these incidents. Meanwhile, 25% of all burglaries also occurred while the occupants were home and completely unaware that they were being burgled.

Such statistics point to the glaringly obvious – Britain needs to be more careful when it comes to home security. Luckily, there are a few common home security mistakes you can easily remedy to increase your home safety dramatically.

Home Security Mistakes

As the old sayings go, prevention is better than a cure and defence is the best form of attack. Keep your home safe from break-ins by avoiding the most common home security mistakes prevalent across the UK.

Hiding a Key Outside

A classic security mistake, the old “key under the mat” trick is so predictably careless that it’s been habitually lampooned in pop culture, appearing in everything from Back to the Future to SpongeBob SquarePants.

Similar spots like under a plant put or beneath a bin are just as predictable for would-be burglars, leaving your home wide open for unwanted visitors.

Leaving your key outside is like setting your phone pin as your date of birth. While it might not be as careless as keeping it open, it’s far from fool-proof and doesn’t take a criminal mastermind to get in.

High-Profile Valuables

If your valuables are highly visible from the outside, it can leave a passing opportunist salivating like a dog in a butcher’s window.

From jewellery and watches to car keys and mobile phones, leaving items in direct view of the window is asking for trouble, particularly if your house directly backs on to a busy street.

While it’s easy to say “don’t leave your valuable in full-view”, realistically anyone can slip up from time to time. As such, it’s a good idea to invest in blinds or even net curtains.

To further limit the possibility of your prized possessions being swiped, never leave an open window unattended.

Lights Out

While it may seem obvious, a dark house with no lighting is ironically a glaring beacon to burglars that the house is empty…unless you happen to have photophobia and simply hate lights.

If you’re going to be out of the house for a short period of time – such as the evening or overnight – leaving a light on is an instant remedy that can work wonders. It’s literally as easy as flicking a switch.

Meanwhile, if you’re going away on holiday and are going to be leaving your house vacant for several days, installing light timers can be a wise and affordable solution. Some don’t even require programming for added ease.

A lack of lighting externally can also provide burglars with the perfect cover to enter a property undetected. Invest in motion sensor security lights to highlight any intruders before they make their move.

External Build-Ups

Whether it’s an overflowing letterbox of backlogged junk mail or a growing stock of deliveries in the porch, external build-ups clearly in plain view of passers-by make it blatantly obvious the occupants are away for a prolonged period of time.

Even something simple like leaving your bins at the bottom of the drive for collection can be a dead giveaway. If possible, cancel any deliveries and/or arrange for a neighbour, friend or family member to stop by and collect/clear up any obvious signs of inhabitancy.

A build-up of milk on your doorstep used to be another tell-tale sign of a lengthy getaway. While this has somewhat fallen by the wayside with the decline of milk deliveries, it’s been naturally replaced by a fitting 21^st century substitute…

Social Media Declarations

Many of us will be guilty of this next entry but it doesn’t make it any less foolish from a security point of view. Announcing your holiday plans on social media is like putting a big neon “OPEN” sign on your front door.

Letting the social media world know your house is vacant for a week isn’t smart. While we’d all like to think that our friends are honest, law-abiding citizens, truthfully, many of us will be connected to people online we know in passing or barely know at all. 

If you have hundreds of Facebook friends, ask yourself how many of those can you really count as genuine friends? Realistically, many will be acquaintances, while some may even be relative unknowns.

Worse still, a bit of digging through your timeline can often uncover an address with relative ease. For example, we’ve all seen those “new home” posts of house keys: if the accompanying photo is of the house or street itself, they can provide a lot more info than you would like.

Home Security

If you really want to keep your home safe and sound, it could be well worth investing in some additional safety options. At IDS Security, we offer a variety of home security measures that are specifically designed to keep your home and its contents as safe as possible.

From surveillance cameras and burglar alarms to access controls and fire protection systems, we run the gamut of security technology to provide you with something money can’t buy – peace of mind.

For more details on our security systems and home protection technology, why not get in touch today? Call now on 029 20 753 251 or drop us a line using the link below.

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When you’re buying a house, security should be a top priority. After all, nobody wants to move into a new home where there is an inherent risk to your safety.

However, when you’re selling a house, home security can be just as important – particularly when it comes to property value.

Keeping your property up to date and up to scratch with the appropriate security measures can seriously pay off.

How so? Let’s find out…

Does a Security System Add Value to a Home?

Thinking about it logically, if you were buying a house, would you rather buy a house in a safe area that’s backed by top-quality CCTV or a property in a dodgy neighbourhood that doesn’t even have a front door?

While that example may seem a little extreme, the point remains. When you’re selling a house, a safe and secure property is a far more desirable proposition than one that poses potential risks. As such, it really does pay to cover any chinks in the proverbial armour.

Naturally, properties that pose minimal security risk are likely to garner a higher price tag. What’s more, they also provide a more attractive option to potential buyers in terms of overall investment, as they also present your would-be buyer with potentially cheaper insurance premiums.

Types of Home Security

If you’re considering ramping up your home security in the interest of adding value to your home, there are a few different routes you can take.

At IDS Security, we recommend considering the following options to keep your property as safe as houses.

Burglar Alarms

The holy grail of home safety, the tried and tested burglar alarm is perhaps the most popular and common form of home security in the UK.

At IDS, our cutting-edge intruder alarm systems are specifically designed to keep your home safe using the latest digital signalling equipment.

IDS can provide design, installation and maintenance of your home intruder alarm system for ultimate peace of mind, ensuring your system is installed correctly and always in full, working order.

Surveillance Cameras

Whether you’re looking to install traditional CCTV or hi-tech digital IP cameras, you can rest assured that our surveillance technology is top of the line and state-of-the-art.

Our expert team of installers can help you set up a security camera system that’s appropriate and fitting for your property.

Ranging from simple one-camera setup to multi-camera networks, we can provide your home with the level of security needed to suit your property.

Access Control

Providing technologically-advanced door entry solutions for your property, our access control systems provide electronic and magnetic door release for ultimate security.

Limiting entry through your chosen method of access – from smart card and key fobs to intercoms and biometrics – you can secure anything from a single internal door to multiple points of entry.

Fire Protection Systems

In addition to intruder security measures, we also offer protection from fire hazards as well in the form of our fire alarm systems.

Utilising state-of-the-art fire detection technology, our specialist fire alarms provide unrivalled reliability and reassurance, installed by expert fitters with a wealth of industry experience.

Our maintenance package also includes a 24/7 monitoring service with a round-the-clock call-out service included.

What are you waiting for? Add value to your property today with home security from IDS. Call now on 029 20 753 251 for more information or click the button below to enquire online.

Enquire Online Now

When it comes to door entry systems there is no hard and fast answer about which is the 'best' one out there. The best door entry system for you depends on the why and where you plan to install it. Here are a few things to bear in mind if you're trying to decide which door entry system is the best for you.

Location

Commercial - If you're a business owner there are a few things to consider when you choose a door entry system:

• Which door entry system will be most efficient for your employees?
• Which system will provide the desired level of security commercial property?
• Which locations need to be secured around the premises?

Residential - A homeowner's worst nightmare is burglary or theft. Here's what you should consider before choosing the best door entry system for your home:

• How many people will be using it?
• What level of security do you prefer for your home?
• How much do you want to spend?

Best types of door entry system

Once you've considered the answers to the above questions, it's time to decide what type of door entry system is best for you! Let's take a look at some of the door entry systems we offer and explore why they might be the best for your property...

Key Fob Security Systems

• One of the simpler door entry systems on the market, key fob security systems are easy for everyone to use. You'll often find key fob door entry systems outside blocks of flats, although they can be useful when employees need to pop in and out of the office frequently too.

Video Door Entry System

• Ideal for monitoring your property while you're away, our video door entry systems are the best for residential properties. You can see who's ringing your doorbell without having to answer the door, and you can keep a close eye on people behaving suspiciously.

Security Barriers

• Security barriers are a physical blockade between your property and the outside world. Generally, this might be considered a bit of a strange choice for a residential property where most people would install a gate or fence.  Security barriers work wonders in private car parks, making them the best door entry system for commercial properties. 

Do you need more help choosing the best door entry system for your property? Speak to one of our advisors today, we're more than happy to help. Call us on 029 20 753 251 now.