Gone are the days when burglars needed wheelbarrows and vans to escape with valuable goods, these days little more than a rucksack will suffice. Research from AXA home Insurance revealed that the average home contains approximately £5,218 of gadgets, jewellery and portable electrical items, making a grand total of over £135.5bn across the UK and £17.68 for every square metre*.
As well as having the most up-to-date gadgets in their possession, a quarter of households surveyed (25%) said that they also keep up to £1,302 worth of jewellery in their homes, which adds to a modern day treasure trove of iPads, iPods, games consoles and other items that a burglar can get their hands on.
However, £135.5bn is just the tip of the iceberg; many UK homes boast enough small gadgets and jewellery to the value of over £6,500, which confirms that we have indeed become a nation of tiny tech geeks. Over a quarter (26%) of Brits have two laptops/iPads and 10% have three games consoles! Three in ten households own two mobile phones and a further quarter have up to two smartphones at home.
In comparison to ten years ago, when the majority of us owned bulkier, heavier electrical items such as CD players (80%), video recorders (67%) and desktop computers (64%) burgling a house was more of an arduous task, but that isn't the case anymore.
This research confirms just how important it is for residents to make sure their gadgets and other high value household items are insured and stored away in a safe place. Over the years, items have become smaller and more portable but no less expensive, so we need to do everything in our power to make it harder for thieves as claiming for high tech goods and jewellery will inevitably have an impact on insurance premiums. Burglary isn't something we like to think about, but unfortunately it's something we should be prepared for.
Top 5 tips to keep your contents safe
- Store desirable electrical goods / games consoles in cupboards rather than leaving them on show
- Store valuable items like jewellery in a safe
- Install a visual burglar alarm and good outside lighting
- Leave radios or lights in your house on a timer and keep ladders and tools stored away
- Make sure that you are suitably insured!
* Based on an average home with a floor plan of 90 square metres