In the last year, 335,700 Australians had their home broken into.

Your house is your most valuable possession, but even if you’re only renting, chances are, all of your worldly goods are locked away in your home. Proper home and contents insurance will protect you financially if you become the victim of a home robbery, but, these simple tips will help keep potential burglars away.

1. Lock Your Doors

Did you know that as many as 55% of Australians admit to forgetting to lock their doors and windows when they go to bed or leave the house?

 

Not locking your door makes it easy for anyone to walk straight into your house. A locked door is the first deterrent for burglars, especially if your door doesn’t have a lock that’s easy to pick. Also, if you want to hide a spare key somewhere, maybe avoid hiding it under your doormat…

 

While we’re on the topic of doors, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 60% of people who had their home broken into had one of their windows or doors tampered with. Install flyscreens and upgrade your doors and windows where possible to make sure they can’t be easily broken.

2. Don’t Provide Cover

 

The last thing burglars want is to be caught mid break-in by your nosy neighbours. Make it hard for them to be discreet by cutting back any trees or bushes that hide the front of your house, and install motion lights and sensors so they can’t lurk in the shadows.

3. Don’t Forget the Garden Shed

 

If a burglar can’t get in your front door or windows, the next step they’ll take is to find any tools, ladders or equipment that can either help them break in or that are valuable enough to make pinching them worthwhile.

 

Always make sure your garden shed and garage are securely locked, have motion sensored lights, and try not to leave any ladders lying around your property.

4. Don’t Advertise Your Valuables

 

Contrary to everything your mum taught you growing up, taking out the trash isn’t always the best idea. If you’ve just purchased a new TV or gaming console, don’t take the boxes out until your rubbish is due for pick-up.

 

If you need to get them out of the house, make sure they’re ripped up and hidden safely inside the bin and aren’t hanging out, or worse yet, sitting next to the bin for the world to see.

5. Up Your Defences

 

Have you got a dog with a killer bark? If you do, make it known. Nobody in their right mind will try to break into a property where they can see a dog that could potentially injure them, or draw attention to their illegal activity.

 

If you don’t have a dog, don’t stress; an alarm system will work just as well. Plus, if you invest in one with 24/7 monitoring, the alarm company will be notified and will check out any conspicuous activity on your property.

 

Regardless of how secure your property is, home and contents insurance is still a must for every homeowner and renter. Talk to Sarina Insurance about how we can protect you financially if anyone does manage to break through your home’s defences.

If you’ve been thinking about taking out a life insurance policy, but can’t quite decide if it’s worthwhile, put yourself in the shoes of these unlucky people who not only left this earth sooner than they may have expected, but did so in the most unusual fashion.

Death by Electrocution… on the Toilet!

In 1983, Michael Anderson Godwin, a convicted murderer who was facing death by electrocution had his sentence reduced to life in prison. However, little did he know at the time that he would accidentally electrocute himself six years later.

Godwin met his maker while adjusting the headphones that were plugged into his prison cell’s TV; he bit into the wire, while sitting on a steel-rimmed toilet, and unwittingly electrocuted himself.

Unbreakable Glass

In an attempt to prove that the glass of the Toronto-Dominion Centre was unbreakable, 38-year-old Garry Hoy threw himself against the window. As it turned out, he was right; the glass didn’t break – although he never expected the window frame to be so weak. When the window popped out of its frame, he fell 24 floors to his death.

A Killer Orange

Daredevil Bobby Leach was always a risk-taker, and in 1911 he became the second person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Well renowned for his uncanny ability to cheat death in even the most daring circumstances, he ended up dying after slipping on an orange peel…

He broke his leg so badly that it needed to be amputated, and he died from surgical complications.

Attacked by a Cow in Bed

In 2013, Brazilian man, Joao Maria de Souzza died when a cow fell through his roof as he slept.

The 45-year-old man had been sleeping soundly in bed with his wife, when the animal in question climbed onto the corrugated roof that backed onto a hill, before falling eight feet onto Mr de Souza’s side of the bed. He later died from internal bleeding while waiting to be treated by doctors.

Killed by a Robot

Have you ever wondered who the first person to die at the mercy of a robot was? Well, it was Robert Williams, a Ford assembly line worker who was accidentally hit by a robot arm in 1979.

An Accidental Shooting

While trying to prove a point in court, Clement Vallandigham, a 19^th century lawyer in the US accidentally shot himself to death.

His client was accused of killing a man; but Mr Vallandigham defended his client by arguing the victim had accidentally shot himself. When he went to demonstrate this in court he wasn’t aware that his gun was in fact loaded.

As it turns out, his daring argument proved successful, as his client was later acquitted of his murder charges.

Death by Sweetener

In 1919 the streets of Boston were flooded by a 25ft high wave of sweetener that sped through the streets at 35mph, after a tank of molasses burst. The Boston Molasses Disaster of 1919 claimed the lives of 21 people who were just going about their business.

Drowning in Beer

Perhaps a little less sticky than sweetener, but just as deadly, eight people were killed in the London Beer Flood of 1814. A giant vat at a brewery burst, sending more than 3,500 barrels of beer pouring through the nearby streets, an accident that proved fatal for a few unfortunate souls.

If these somewhat bizarre deaths prove anything, it’s that life is short. Make sure your family is protected financially in the event something happens to you. Talk to Sarina Insurance about life insurance and income protection today!

IAG has used drones to help assess damage from recent bushfires in an Australian first.
The claims team for the insurer, through its CGU, WFI and Coles brands, used the technology to view damage caused by the fires that devastated the Great Ocean Road area on Christmas Day.

The use of the technology will help speed customer claims by fast-tracking the assessment process, the insurer said.

Using a property repair partner, the insurer was able to inspect damaged properties from a safe location before physical access to the area was granted by authorities which allowed the insurer and its customers to review damage without the risk of physically accessing the site.

Andy Cornish, chief operating officer for IAG who will step down from his role later this year, said that the use of drones by the company paves the way for future use in insurance.

“The impact caused by the Victorian bushfires was incredibly stressful for the homeowners affected and using drone technology as part of our assessment process allowed us to make the experience safer, simpler and faster for our customers,” Cornish said.

“We are proud to be the first insurer in Australia to use drones to assess damage following a major bushfire and have received extremely positive feedback from our customers who benefitted from this technology.

“We are already working with our property repair partner to develop how we can use this technology to help more customers in the future.”

The bushfires destroyed 116 homes and burnt at least 2,000 hectares, according to the ABC, and were officially declared a catastrophe by the Insurance Council of Australia after more than $53 million worth of insured losses.

Cornish backed drones and other technology to make a big difference in the future of the insurance industry but noted that the personal touch is still best, especially when it comes to traumatic situations such as a natural disaster.

“While technology has played a huge role in meeting our customers’ needs, we also understand that nothing beats personal connection when times are tough,” Cornish continued.

“We have allocated extra resource to ensure we have a team available on-the-ground to support our customers in getting back on their feet.”

Source: Corporate Risk & Insurance