Going on a holiday is always exciting and fun – but it’s important to make sure your home is protected while you’re away. In this article we’ll look at the ways you can keep your home safe while you’re away on holiday.
Don’t ever advertise your absence
Thieves increasingly monitor social media for signs that people aren’t in their homes or are on holiday. This is an unfortunate fact of the modern world, and it means you must be careful with what you post online – leave posting any videos, photos, or other material about your absence until after you return.
Make your home look occupied
Thieves will look for homes which appear empty – they are not interested in confrontation or having to deal with an occupant. This means that if you can reduce attention to your home, it will become much safer.
Burglars and thieves will look for,
- Deliveries on the doorstep
- Post and newspapers piling up
- Empty driveways – often the most inviting thing
- A lack of lights or lawn lights obviously running on a time
- Overgrown plants or an untended to lawn
- Rubbish bins which have gone unemptied or haven’t been returned to their normal position after a collection
The best way to look your home unoccupied is to have a trusted neighbour, friend, or family member maintain it while you are away. Simply being active in the home for short times, parking their car in the drive, and having lights on at irregular intervals is an incredibly effective way to keep your home safe. Also collecting mail and packages can do a huge amount as well.
It can be very helpful to have someone have a key in case of other emergencies – such as water leaks.
You should also cancel regular deliveries like daily papers or milk – and avoid ordering anything online while you’re on holiday. The Royal Mail offers a fantastic keep safe service which can hold your mail and deliveries for up to 100 days and return it to you once you have returned home.
Alarm Systems
CCTV and alarm systems are a fantastic way to keep your property safe and an excellent way to ensure your home avoids burglaries. Many burglars will avoid properties with a visible CCTV or alarm system – as they know the chances of being caught and prosecuted rise significantly if an alarm or camera is on the property. This means the presence of either (or both) is often enough to provide your home with an invaluable level of protection.
There are a variety of different alarm and CCTV systems available on the market. These include bell-only alarms, monitored alarms (which are excellent and can contact the police if tripped), and smart burglar alarms. Modern alarm systems are designed to avoid unnecessary or accidental alerts as well.
Many insurance policies will either expect you to have an alarm system and or an alarm will reduce insurance premiums. Failure to have an alarm system on the property will often make it difficult to make insurance claims, since it will be expected by your insurance provider that an effort has been made to protect the property.
It is vital that you properly service and maintain any security system you install. Failure to do so means the potential for faults; not only does this strip away much of the protection offered by the alarm, but a failed alarm system can end up going off at random – annoying your neighbours and becoming a general nuisance. Furthermore, failure to maintain alarm systems properly may see you unable to make proper insurance claims.
Locking Up
This is probably the most obvious move – but people frequently forget to seal windows and lock back doors when they leave – a mistake which can invalidate home insurance. Many policies only cover burglary claims if there are signs of forced and or violent entry.
You will need to ensure all your windows and doors are properly locked – with locks that are fully approved by your home insurance provider. The same should be done with any sheds and outbuildings, not to mention garages. Furthermore, make sure any tools are properly stored – so that a burglar cannot use them to gain access to your home. Never leave ladders outside either.
It is always good to get a neighbour or friend to check your houses doors and windows to ensure they are all properly sealed after you’ve left.
Put away any valuables
Another obvious but important point is to make sure any valuables are stored away. Leaving them visible through windows or curtains is a big mistake and can easily attract thieves and burglars. In the worst-case scenario that a crime does occur, having a safe or having a hidden safe space to store them is also invaluable. You can always of course, ask a friend or family member to hold onto these valuables for you.