Protecting your home from potential intruders and burglary is a concern for many when going on holiday. In 2018, 816,000 households were burgled while owners were away, meaning it is a valid concern. However, with a few simple steps, you can safeguard your home when you and your family are on holiday.
Top Tips to Prevent Home Burglaries When You’re Away
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Install a Light Timer
You want to make your home look like someone is living there even when they’re not to deter burglars. However, leaving your lights on will not only increase your electricity bill but is also bad for the environment. Instead, invest in a light timer, so you can set a light to come on in the evening for a certain amount of hours. This is a great way to protect your home by making it look occupied.
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Don’t Post Your Holiday on Social Media
Sharing your holiday on social media is great, but it also advertises that your house is empty and therefore increases the risk of you experiencing a break-in. It was found that 19% of people will post holiday photos and status updates on social media, with 9% admitting that they let their followers know they are going away. You do not know who will be looking at this information – don’t put yourself or your home at risk!
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Make Use of Friends & Family
Ask a trusted neighbour, or a nearby friend or family member to keep an eye on your home in case they see anything or anyone suspicious. Having someone looking out for you will not only give you peace of mind but they will also be on hand if an incident does happen.
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Keep Your Valuables Safe
Identify your valuables and keep them in a safe place and out of sight. Items such as jewellery, bank cards, car keys and personal documents are all high-value items that intruders are looking for. Don’t leave them on the side or in obvious places like a desk drawer. Hide them in a hidden safe or stored away under your bed or wardrobe for extra security.
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Maintain Your Garden
An unkempt garden and lawn, that looks like it hasn’t been mown in a while, are all key indicators to an intruder that nobody is home. Cut the grass the day before you leave for your holiday and ask a trustworthy neighbour to water your plants whilst you’re away to keep up outside appearances.
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Keep the Curtains Open
Many people believe closing your curtains is the safest thing to do when you’re away from your home. However, burglars are savvy and know that this is a key sign that a household is away. You wouldn’t usually have the curtains closed when you’re home, so you shouldn’t when you’re away either. Keep your curtains ajar, but remember to keep any valuables out of sight and hidden away.
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Double Check Locks & Hide Keys
Locking all your doors is an obvious tip to avoid a break-in when you’re on holiday. However, double-checking all upstairs and downstairs windows, back doors, garages and sheds is an important step that could be overlooked. Be sure to also put keys in a locked safety box or out of sight and away from windows and doors.
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Cancel Regular Deliveries
There is nothing more obvious to someone not being home than a buildup of delivered newspapers and milk! Cancel your regular deliveries for the weeks you are away and you will not only be saving yourself money but also from the potential of experiencing a break-in.
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Ask a Neighbour to Clear Your Post
Burglars often look through letterboxes to see if there is a build-up of post to know whether a household is away from their home or not. Protect your home from a break-in by asking a trusted neighbour to move your post away from the front door. Alternatively, you can register with the Royal Mail Keepsafe, which holds your mail and keeps it safe until you return from your holiday.
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Install a Home Security System
The best way to protect your home from a burglary whilst you’re on holiday is by installing a high-quality home security system. Homewatch offers smart home security covering CCTV, intruder alarms, home monitoring as well as access to the Homewatch Smart App so that you can remotely be in control of and keep an eye on your home whilst you’re on holiday.
