Budget Direct Insurance

Well, that’s alarming!

Budget Direct surveyed 1000 people across Australia to get a better understanding of their attitudes and behaviours towards home security. Below are the findings of this survey.

Australian home security statistics

1 in 5 respondents said

Someone had broken into or attempted to break into their home

1 in 3 respondents said

They have home security installed in their house

24% of respondents said

They installed home security after being burgled

Jeremy Stewart

Expert Security Advice

Jeremy Stewart, VP Global Marketing Swann Communications

About 60% of the burglars indicated that the presence of an alarm would make them seek out an alternative target altogether.[1]

When it comes to choosing the best home security system for your home, we suggest you start by thinking like a burglar! Look at your home from the roadside, and count the potential entry points. This will give you an idea of how many cameras you will  need.

Then decide on whether you want to have a system that uses your home’s internet/ Wi-Fi connection or not. Decide whether you want to hardwire a system into your house, or have a totally wireless camera.

We recommend choosing a CCTV system that has heat and motion-sensing to generate push notifications and video recording when activity is detected. In that way you have a better chance of preventing unwanted activity while also capturing video evidence at the same time.

Finally, what is your budget? You are now ready to do your research to find the system to meet your needs.

[1] The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology

Australian attitudes & behaviours

35% Of respondents said

They have left a spare key outside their home

47% Of respondents said

A “Guard Dog” sign would deter a burglar

58% Of respondents said

They often allow couriers to leave online purchases at their front door

36% Of respondents said

A fake security camera would be enough of a deterrent for burglars

Evan Comb

Expert Security Advice

Evan Comb, Director Adeva Security

A deterrent is better than nothing, but I would suggest the real deal if an actual security incident occurs.

For example, on Australia day we had one of our CCTV cameras capture an assault and carjacking incident.

At our Perth branch, our camera was able to record the incident, in which two women were attacked by strangers who then proceeded to steal their vehicle and flee the scene.

The Perth police reviewed the footage captured by our CCTV system and successfully identified the suspects, leading to multiple arrests. While having a deterrent is better than nothing, 'real deal' security products can prevent crime from occurring, or in this instance, prevent it from happening again.

Barriers to home security

We asked:

What is your primary reason for not installing home security?

31%

Can't afford it

21%

My home is secure enough

12%

I have a dog

5%

Sounds too complex

20%

I live in a safe area

11%

Unnecessary expense

Shelley Robins

Expert Security Advice

Shelley Robins, Director Mangocam

With today’s abundance of wireless CCTV options, for the cost of a meal out, you can purchase a fully working wireless IP camera.

Recording from the cameras will set you back the cost of a couple of coffees a month. Lead in units can be found for almost the same cost as a fake unit.

In the majority of cases, home security installations are very reliable. Internet security cameras are competitively priced and are affordable for a range of budgets. The ease of ‘Plug and Play’ technology means that virtually anyone can set them up.

We suggest that you select a recommended unit, one that you have purchased in Australia. This isn’t just to buy local, but also to allow you to speak with local providers for warranty and assistance issues and also to make sure that the units have met minimum electrical safety standards, such as C-tick. There are many products on the market that do not have these certifications and can pose a fire risk.

Homeowners vs Renters

A side-by-side comparison between homeowners and renters on their attitudes and behaviours towards home security and home insurance.

Have experienced a break-in?

23%
14%

Have home security installed?

35%
20%

Leave a spare key outside?

21%
13%

Think that a fake camera is enough of a deterrent?

34%
40%

Think that a “guard dog” would deter a burglar?

42%
47%

Think that owning home security
can affect home insurance

42%
25%

Have contents insurance

53%
16%
Brad Hales

Expert Security Advice

Brad Hales, National Marketing Communications Manager Uniden

Whether owning or renting a property, increasing home security should always be a consideration.

There are a number of affordable DIY home security options that are a simple plug in and play set-up. These units can be easily moved from one property to another if users are renting or thinking of buying. Depending on the size of the house or apartment, single use cameras can be used rather than installing a larger surveillance system. These cameras are portable, affordable and offer great features to monitor the home day and night. They can also be accessed remotely while you’re away from home. Wire-free battery operated security cameras are becoming more popular and are ideal for renters, as they can be easily moved between properties and require no professional installation.

Most apartments include security doors, but this doesn't necessarily mean the unit is secure. Units can easily be accessed via balconies near the ground level and unauthorised guests walking through the complex’s main entrance can also pose a risk. Purchasing a single use camera to keep watch on the unit's front door or balcony will help to deter unwanted visitors and provide additional security on top of what is already included in the building complex.

Attitudes towards home & contents insurance

We asked:

Do you have contents insurance?

No 31%
Yes 69%

We asked:

Do you think owning a home security system would affect the price of your home insurance?

No 33%
Yes 67%

We asked:

Are you confident that your contents insurance would adequately cover your possessions in the event of theft?

Not sure
22%
Yes 69%
No
9%
Chris Jarrett

Expert Insurance Advice

Chris Jarrett, General Manager Home Claims & Assessing Budget Direct

The question that comes to mind for me isn’t: ‘can I afford to have contents insurance?’, but rather ‘can I afford not to have contents insurance?’

Larger theft claims are more likely to occur when residents are away on holiday or if the home is vacant for a period of time. While most stolen items are small, they are usually quite expensive; jewellery and electronic devices such as iPads, mobile phones and game consoles are easy targets for burglars.

Keep in mind that an insurer will likely ask for evidence of ownership for any stolen items being claimed. Therefore, it can speed up the process if you have retained receipts and/or pictures of the items. For jewellery claims, valuations and pictures can be very helpful in settling the claim quickly.

Installing some types of security alarms may affect the price of contents insurance. They may also reduce the cost of theft risk too.

In the 0 seconds you have been viewing this page a burglar could have picked 0 locks.

Source: https://recordsetter.com/world-record/pick-open-master-lock-no-37/41078

About the survey

We surveyed over 1000 people across Australia to get a better understanding of their attitudes and behaviours towards home security.

Want to see more?

If you are interested in seeing all the data of this survey please contact our Digital PR Manager: