Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
Insurance Claims After a Break-In: Could Your Door Lock Make It Difficult?
You definitely didn't leave the front door unlocked when you went out. And yet now, you've returned home to discover that it has been forced or even picked, and you find that you've joined the upwards of 180,000 Australian residents whose homes have been broken into in the last year. You will probably notify the police, even if it doesn't seem like anything has been stolen (or at least, not anything you immediately notice), and of course you will need to call a 24-hour locksmith, like those at Border Locksmiths, to secure your front door (and the locksmith should also inspect your other locks to check for other signs of attempted forced entry). And then it comes time to start thinking about your insurance claim. But could your front door lock actually make the claim difficult?
Your Insurance Claim
It's a troubling thought, but if the door in question (and perhaps all the doors and windows in your home) did not have a deadbolt fitted, then your insurance company might reject your claim. It can be wise to have a look at the precise wording of your home and contents insurance policy to see if this applies to you, since you don't want to be in a position where your insurance provider refuses to pay out. If your home has been broken into, and you're not entirely sure of the nature of your locks, you can ask the locksmith while they are replacing the locks. They might be able to upgrade the lock there and then, which will secure your home, but won't necessarily exempt you from any exclusions that exist in your insurance policy. If there are any issues with the claim, of course this will need to be debated with your insurance provider. Ideally, you would be aware of any policy requirements for your door locks before a break-in.
Securing Your Home
If you feel that your existing locks (which can apply to all your doors and windows) will be insufficient if you ever had to make an insurance claim, contact a locksmith to have them upgraded. The minimum requirements should be queried with your insurance provider, but these requirements will probably cover deadbolts being fitted on all doors that can accommodate them (sliding doors and windows could be a different matter).
Upgrading Your Locks
These minimum requirements should also be considered if you ever upgrade your traditional door locks to smart locks, which can be unlocked remotely and without a key (generally being accessed with your smartphone). Ensure that any smart locks have a deadbolt that will not invalidate your insurance, and that they are professionally installed.
You might go your whole life without your home ever being broken into, but if it was to happen, you wouldn't want your door lock to prevent you from claiming insurance.