Winter is a peak-time for home break-ins. As winter creeps in, we’re often stuck at work until after dark. Fewer daytime hours spent at home and longer nights provide a better cover for thieves.

To ensure your home remains secure and your family stays safe, here’s our home safety tips on house keys.

1) Never leave spare keys outside your home. Under the pot plant or doormat are the first places thieves look. Don’t be fooled into thinking they don’t know all the usual hiding places.

2) Consider buying a key sage. A key sage is a small box for keys that can be bolted outside and can only be opened with a numeric code. No need to call a locksmith next time you lock yourself out of the house.

3) Don’t have personal details such as your name, address and telephone on your keys. If they already have you keys, giving a stranger personal information and details on where you live is asking for trouble.

4) Give a duplicate set of keys to a trusted friend, relative or neighbour. You never know what it could come in handy. Better to be safe than sorry.

5) If you lose your keys or move into a new home, make sure you change the locks. It’s the only way to ensure that no one outside your family has access to your home.

6) If someone contacts you saying they have found your keys, ask them to drop them off at the nearest police station. Don’t give personal information to strangers, especially if they already have the keys to your house.

Do you have any other house key safety tips? Leave a comment, we’d love to hear it.