Alarm Systems & CCTV Specialists

When it comes to protecting your home, you want to have all bases covered. This includes adequate insurance. Every day life brings change – household circumstances shift with children growing up and leaving home, renovations taking place, upgrades in technology, new furnishings, new pets, assets around the property, new properties bought or left behind, plus much more. When was the last time you had a close look at your insurance policy for your home and contents? Do you have any set up? Are you getting the most suitable policy for your current needs?

According to Understand Insurance’s report from August 2014, four out of five Australians are under-insured for home and contents, while 23% of all home owners and renters have no contents insurance at all.

Home Safety

Taking practical steps to make your home as safe as you can, will not only give you piece of mind but possibly assist with insurance premiums and cover for any future claims. Home security steps such as:

• Making sure the perimeter doors are secured with quality locks and made with solid materials. Are deadlocks in place?
• Do the windows have safety screens and/or adequate locks? Or quality metal grills or shutters fitted? According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 60% of victims cited a door or window had been damaged or tampered with in attempted break-ins, so it pays to invest in strengthening these defences.
• Does your home have an alarm system? Quality CCTV cameras? Safety lights? At Millennium Security we have a range of choices to suit various budgets and household needs. This includes Home Automation Systems, giving you the opportunity to control your lights, roller doors and alarm systems from the click of a button, whether you are home or not.
• What measures do you currently have in place for adequately securing your home? Don’t leave it till it is too late. Make a checklist and go through tasks by priority, including setting dates to reach your target and not become overwhelmed by doing everything all at once. Go through your list with a close friend or relative and complete the list together for both households.

Looking After Your Assets Smart

What would happen if your property was burgled? Do you have records and documentation to back up any claims? Not only does this make the difficult process move along faster for all parties, but it also allows for honest verification. Things to consider:

• Photograph all valuable items, monetary or sentimental. Save hard copies but also, importantly digital backup. Perhaps consider uploading these somewhere safe, whether through email, Dropbox or even to a close friend or relative
• Save copies of important paperwork such as birth certificates, driver license, medical records, passports and even your insurance papers.
• Keeping regular updated photographs of the house interior and exterior and storing this with the above documentation; this clearly identifies the place ‘before’ any damage done through vandalism, fire or flood.
• Consider the value of your data. Typing in passwords every time you want to log on to your home computer, laptop, phone, tablet or ipad may seem like a hassle, but leaving everything ‘open’ and vulnerable to unwanted third parties may have you feeling as if a ‘double break-in’ has occurred. Also, consider downloading a suitable App that can protect all your smart technology with a ‘location trackers’.
• Create property identification. Mark your property by engraving or microdoting them with a code in the top right hand corner (or near the serial number). This helps police locate the missing items quicker and also deters thieves in some cases. Thieves tend to target small valuable items that are lightweight and high in market value. Engravers are often available from your local police station for loan. However, keep in mind that not all items are suitable for engraving. Check with the manufacturer if you are unsure. Once you have the codes created be sure to keep copies somewhere safe.

Taking preventative action is the smartest move - don't wait till it is too late!

A FREE online service to help compare how various insurance plans measures up in Australia: https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/home-contents-insurance/ or, closer to home here in Tasmania: https://www.finder.com.au/home-insurance-tas including home insurance reviews and what to look for when comparing policy reviews.

For further information on household crime statistics in Australia, go to The Australian Bureau of Statistics website.