Householders are being urged to put home security first, during the summer as burglaries are on the rise, says Buzzvault Insurance.

The insurance provider has put together a list of top tips to help homeowners protect their property during the summer months.

1. Make sure all doors and windows are locked securely before going away. Don’t be tempted to leave downstairs windows open at night

2. Make it obvious you have an alarm or CCTV in place

3. Don’t use social media to brag about your holidays – until you get back

4. It might be light in the evenings but use timers for lights to come on when it does get dark as well as light sensors for doorways/gates

5. Install a key safe in a hidden place

6. Park your car in a way that could block access by a burglar

7. Turn off wifi and smart home devices to avoid the risk of hacking

8. Look at all the perimeter areas of your home and where access and exit points could be gained.

Becky Downing, CEO of Buzzvault Insurance, said: “A burglary is traumatic enough but if you are underinsured, that’s just the start of the nightmare. It seems obvious, but windows mistakenly left open or unlocked when the house is empty are a gift to thieves and could also render any insurance invalid.

“Think about all the ways someone could make entry to your home but also consider how you would claim if you were burgled. Would you even know exactly what’s missing if you came home to a ransacked property?”

“Make a digital inventory, take video and photos.”

This is the basis of Buzzvault Insurance – a soon to be launched personalised home insurance policy based on a digital inventory of a customer’s home contents, which can be used if they need to make an insurance claim.