NEWS COPY
Brits don't officially wind down until 7.47pm in the evening, new research reveals.
A study into the lifestyles and working hours of 2,000 people found life is officially two thirds hard work with more than 10 hours of the average person's 15-hour day dedicated to the long slog of work and ticking off a never-ending to-do list.
Results showed the typical eight hour work day is topped up with a minimum of two hours of admin, errands and personal chores to keep modern life ticking over- with people admitting they don't actually stop until just before 8pm.
And while we do get seven hours time at home awake most days- less than half that time is spent actually relaxing or enjoying our homes.
A spokesman for security specialist Yale, which commissioned the research, said: "They say a man's home is his castle but it seems for many, we don't get to spend as much time there as we would like. "Work and socialising means we spend a large chunk of our time away from home, with holidays only adding to this further.
"Even the time we do get to spend at home is often taken up with chores and life admin rather than sitting back and relaxing within our surroundings.
"But while the time our property spends empty is time we aren't getting to enjoy it, it can also create a security issue with your home much more open to crime when no-one is there."
Our busy schedule, full social calendars and need for a holiday means increasingly little time spent at home- in fact the average UK property is left empty for 36 full nights a year.
No wonder then that 38 per cent feel they don't get enough time to properly enjoy their home or where they live.
The majority of these absences from home are likely to be during the summer, with 41 per cent saying they spend more time away from home during this time than during the rest of the year.
And that leads one in five to think their home is likely to be less secure or more susceptible to break-ins during the summer.
Despite this, many fail to take the security of their home seriously with one in ten admitting they have lost a key in the past year.
Three in ten have gone out and left a window open while another 18 per cent have left a door unlocked when they aren't home.
More than one in ten even admitted they have gone out at least once in the past year and left a door wide open.
And the average Brit has left the garage door open once after leaving the house in the last three months.
The Yale spokesman added: "2016 is a busy sporting year which plays a big part in our events calendar this summer.
"That means more people than ever will be out and about enjoying themselves and taking part in social activities, which provides opportunistic thieves with the chance to ramp up their activity.
"As well as this, school holidays are a peak time for getaways, and while away from home many people leave valuable items such as outdoor furniture and leisure equipment in sheds or outbuildings with minimal security.
"As a result, Yale is launching its 'Home & Away' campaign to help raise awareness of the importance of home security and to provide homeowners with tips and advice on how to protect their property this summer."
ENDS
