We have put together some tips and advice on keeping your home safe & secure whilst you are away on holiday.
Windows & Doors
Ensure all windows and doors are locked. Modern UPVC windows have key locks, ensure these are locked and the keys hidden out of sight, or taken with you. Home insurance companies frequently require this on the policy.
Ensure no windows in the house have any valuables showing from the outside. If you have auto-curtain drawers, use these to help open/close the curtains at certain times. These can easily be found on the internet for less than £30.
If you have any windows showing your front postbox (for example, in a porch), ensure these windows are covered and nobody can see letters piling up. This is a good indication for burglars that nobody is at home.
Ensure the post / letterbox flap is not blocked, causing any letters that are posted to show from the outside. Keep it clear to ensure all post gets into the house. Never leave messages on the door for the postman advising how long you are away for. These could be read by anyone.
You can also buy a Smart Windows & Door Alarm System for around £100 which can alert you by push notification or SMS when one of them have been opened. Subscribe to our newsletter to get an alert when we publish our Smart Alarm System review.
CCTV / Alarm Systems
Having CCTV is always a bonus, but the setting up of the equipment is equally important, if not more so. Ensure the DVR Box which houses the hard drive is not in plain sight. Keep it secure and out of reach in case of an intrusion. Burglars can spot CCTV and will try and locate the hard drive to take it. If you have cloud storage, ensure it is working and recording to the cloud, so if the hard drive is taken, you still have the footage available to you.
If your neighbour has CCTV, this also deters burglars as they won’t want to break into both houses to retrieve the hard drive. So, if you have a neighbour with CCTV, you have already decreased the chances of being a target.
Ensure the CCTV camera has good views of each of the entry points and can identify any person who tries to enter. If you have enough cameras, try and ensure one camera covers the other so if someone tries to interfere with one, it is picked up by the other camera covering it.
Have a good working Home Alarm System. If you cannot afford one, there are some great imitation alarm security boxes which you can install outside the house which gives the impression your home is alarmed.
Neighbours
If you have a good relationship with your neighbours and can trust them, let them know you are going away so they can keep an eye out for you. Leave your contact details with them in case of an emergency. When they go away, just return the favour.
If you have family members, have them check up on your house whilst away.
Home Lights
Try and invest in light timers or smart lighting. These can easily be found on eBay & Amazon for under £10. Set these to go on for an hour or so in the evening and turn them off during the day. Have these upstairs and downstairs to show the house is occupied by multiple people.
Sometimes people leave the porch light on. We believe this can sometimes be counter productive and a detriment to home security as not many people spend their time sitting in the porch watching television. Burglars also know this and in fact, will most likely invite them to check the house out.
Don’t keep your front outdoor light on – You want your house to be inconspicuous. Bright lights shining from your house in the night just attract attention which you don’t need. You want your house not to stick out, especially when you are away.
Valuables
Gather any valuables and jewellery and ensure these are placed in a safe and hidden place. If you have a beanbag in the children’s room for example, you can place them in there. Burglars generally go to the master bedroom first to look for valuables. Ensure these are not easily available to them. Don’t leave them in plain sight.
Keep car keys hidden and out of sight or take them with you if you know you won’t lose them. If you have family members available, give any expensive jewellery to them to keep safe.
Social Media
With all the excitement, it’s really easy to feel the need to post your holiday plans on social media. Unless your accounts are private, don’t do that. All you are doing is advertising the fact that you will be away for a certain amount of time.
It’s better to post your adventures when you return if you really want to share your holiday with people. Its always better to be safe than sorry.
House Frontage / Garden
Ensure your garden is well kept prior to going away. Not leaving it overgrown or unkept.
Ensure you don’t have any overflowing bins.
If you have a driveway, try not to keep it empty of any cars if this is possible.
Don’t have parcel deliveries scheduled in case these are left outside the door.
Keep ladders locked away inside somewhere where they cannot be reached.