Chris Sallmann’s home is a monument to his 74 years of life.
The retired contracts estimator designed the sleek Ashburton unit with a sweeping open-plan lounge and kitchen to host his family and has the walls adorned with Australian landscape paintings.
In his sitting room hangs a portrait of his great-great-grandfather painted by five-time Archibald winner John Longstaff, and portraits of his parents by acclaimed artist Paul Fitzgerald, known for painting prime ministers, the Pope and then Prince Charles.
In his garage is a limited edition Audi and a red sports car he’s restored over the past 25 years.
Sallmann takes few holidays – “I don’t even know where Bali is” – opting to spend his money instead on filling his home with sentimental keepsakes and luxuries. It is, he says, his sanctuary.
“I dreamt about it,” he said. “I thought about it during the 10 years that I planned my retirement.”
Over the past five years Google searches for “steering wheel lock” have increased by more than 5000 per cent nationwide.
But after a spate of attempted break-ins along his street, Sallmann has gone to extraordinary lengths to protect his home and his beloved cars.
All up, Sallmann estimates he has spent about $20,000 modifying his home – which once won a local council architecture award – to make it theft-proof.
He’s not alone. Security retailers say customers are increasingly upgrading home protection systems after car thefts nearly doubled in the past three years and community concerns run hot over the risk of home invasions and burglaries.
Data published this month revealed insurance claims for stolen cars in Melbourne eclipsed all other capital cities combined, and Victoria Police are now urging people to purchase simple crime-prevention tools for their vehicles.
Over the past five years, Google searches for “steering wheel lock” have increased by more than 5000 per cent nationwide.
Sallmann has gone all-out with his security system.
High fences ring his front yard, with spikes set along the corners. The windows along the side of his home are deliberately slim to prevent intruders crawling through. Two bollards buttress his driveway, paired with steering wheel and on-board diagnostics port locks, and a signal-blocking Faraday key pouch to safeguard his cars.
There are two front doors to the property. The outermost, made of steel with tungsten frames and complete with three locks, fits flush into the doorway to prevent it being levered open with a crowbar. The second door, made of heavy wood, also sits snugly in the frame and has a solid brass deadlock.
The front windows are double-glazed and smash-proof. At the side of his home, the large, sliding glass door which opens to his small garden is a centimetre thick and bulletproof. At $7,000, this was his most expensive renovation, and even Sallmann admits it may be overkill.
But experiencing a break-in some years ago and a spate of attempted burglaries along his street changed him from a comfortable retiree to “someone that lives on the edge”.
“There are things that you could do that will … protect you, and make you feel better,” Sallmann said.
James Strachan, of Melbourne-based Shug Bollards, said more Victorians were now buying bollards for residential use.
“The problem with a security camera is they can still steal your car, where with a bollard it’s going to take a little bit of effort at least,” Strachan said. He estimated about half his customers were now residential property owners.
Sales for bollards at Safety Xpress, a workplace safety retailer with an office in Keysborough, have grown by 23 per cent year-on-year, as residential demand grows.
“We’ve definitely seen people wanting to invest in physical security as more of a physical deterrent, but also a visual deterrent,” said its operations and people manager Alisha Dopper.
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Angus Delaney is a reporter at The Age. Email him at angus.delaney@theage.com.au or contact him securely on Signal at angusdelaney.31Connect via email.
