Recent research revealed that more than a third of homeowners have installed smart home devices to deter invaders, with smart surveillance cameras the most popular purchase, although nearly half of those surveyed worry an over-the-top show of technology might actually entice burglars.

The survey, conducted by entry door supplier pirnar.co.uk found that that 38% of UK households have installed some form of smart tech security in the home, at an estimated average value of £341.

Smart surveillance cameras proved to be the most popular devices, closely followed by video doorbells. Meanwhile, 15% of British homes feature keyless entry to the home such as keypads, apps, fobs and virtual keys.

The research revealed that a further 24% of homeowners intend to purchase smart home security in the next 12 months but 66% said they would still fall back on traditional deadlocks, too.

Improving security was cited as the main reason for investing in these devices, according to 74% of respondents but a further 26% did so for the sake of convenience. 

Despite this growing trend, as many as 42% say that they think having too many smart security devices on show might actually have the opposite effect, and potentially entice burglars with an over-the-top display of technology on the doorstep.

Pirnar.co.uk sales manager Andrew Osurkovas commented on the findings: “Protecting your home from invaders is unfortunately something many households have to think about, to prevent unwanted guests entering the home. As technology has moved on, doing so has become easier and more affordable than ever - but as we've seen, there can be such a thing as having too many smart devices on show.

“You wouldn't ordinarily leave technology lying around obviously outside your front door. And so more subtle options - such as positioning security devices in less obvious places, or investing in doors which have this type of technology inbuilt in a more subtle design are a better option.”