Home security checklist
What actually reduces risk: door and locks, windows and balcony, keys and codes, an inventory of valuables, neighbours, holiday habits and what to do after a burglary.

[ ] Check the door and the locks
    The door leaf, frame, hinges, the locks and how many there are. Time and noise are what break-ins avoid.
[ ] Change the locks when moving in and after losing keys
    You do not know how many keys are still out there from previous tenants, builders or guests.
[ ] Secure the windows and balcony, especially on end floors
    Ground and top floors are the exposed ones. An open window in hot weather is the commonest entry without forcing anything.
[ ] Keep the keys accounted for
    No key under the mat. Limit the sets, know who has them, and never put your address on the fob.
[ ] Check codes and digital access
    Smart lock, entry system, app. After a renovation, a tenancy or a move, old codes are often still active.
[ ] Make an inventory of valuables with photos
    Devices with serial numbers, jewellery, documents. Without it, talking to insurers and police becomes a memory exercise.
[ ] Do not keep valuables in the obvious places
    The bedroom, the bedside drawer, the linen cupboard are the first places checked. Documents and cash deserve better.
[ ] Get to know your neighbours
    Someone who notices a stranger and calls you beats any device and costs one conversation in the lift.
[ ] Do not advertise your absence
    Post the holiday photos after you return. A public \u201caway for two weeks\u201d reads exactly as it sounds.
[ ] Arrange post collection and signs of life
    An overflowing letterbox and permanently dark windows are the loudest signal. A light timer and a visiting neighbour remove it.
[ ] Check your home insurance
    What is covered, what security is required, what a claim needs. A policy remembered after a burglary is usually the wrong one.
[ ] Agree what to do after a break-in
    Do not go in, call the police from outside, touch nothing. Every adult should know this, not only whoever read about it.
[ ] Know the steps after a burglary
    Photographs, a list of what is missing, a police report, the insurer within the deadline, blocking cards and documents, new locks.
[ ] Do not forget the digital side
    A stolen laptop or phone is access to your email and bank. Change passwords and end sessions immediately.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/home-security