7 Home Security Must-Do’s Before Going on Holidays
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Family vacations and travel are essential to living a full life; however, extended periods away from your property make it a prime target for breach and burglary. Luckily, you can adopt some tricks and habits to reduce signs that your home is vulnerable by masking things criminals are looking for when choosing a target. Read on to learn more.
1. Have the mail, bins and blinds taken care of
Three of the most prominent signs to burglars that your home has been unoccupied are:
- Mail building up in the letterbox or by the front door
- Bins left out for longer than a few days
- Blinds that have not opened or shut for days on end
If you are lucky enough to have trusted neighbors, ask them to take care of your mail and bins and potentially open and shut the curtains intermittently while you are away. Try asking family and friends nearby, if not your neighbors, though this can be a little less convenient. Whenever possible, the best option is to find a house sitter.
2. Install a light timer or smart lights
No lights or lights on 24/7 are another tell-tale sign for would-be burglars. Putting timers on lights and installing security sensor lights outdoors is the quickest and most affordable solution.
However, smart lighting is becoming the more popular option for homeowners, which allows control over home lighting via a smartphone app. It is also more affordable than ever and is well worth the investment.
3. Leave a TV or radio on
A quiet home can signal to a professional thief that it is also an empty home. Leaving on a TV or radio while you’re out can be good for throwing off curious criminals. If you’re going away for an extended period, using a power timer on a radio works wonders for gaining an active home.
4. Have the garden taken care of before you leave
An overgrown garden that is normally well-kept can be an obvious sign that it has been a while since anyone has been home. If you’re going away for longer than a week, get the local gardeners around to tidy up before you leave.
If you are going away for an extended period, you may want to book another front yard touch-up while you’re away.
5. Give the spare key to a trusted guardian
If you normally have a spare key around the house, consider leaving it with a neighbor or trusted friend while you’re on holiday. Many burglars are experienced and often find a spare key easier than most think. If you have a spare key around your yard, it is a good general practice to change its location regularly.
Everyone loves to share their holiday snaps with the world on social media. However, some clever criminals use this information to find the properties of holidaymakers while they are away.
The best defense is to limit who can see your posts, like close family and friends, or save all your holiday posts for after you return.
7. Install security
The best defense against burglary is, by far, security technology. Home security is more advanced than ever and is also getting more affordable, with many wireless systems available from general appliance and electrical retailers.
Smart security, in particular, allows you to access and control your alarms, sensors, cameras and video recorders via a smartphone, 24/7, from anywhere in the world where you have an internet signal.
While technological security is a strong defense against home invasion, physical barriers are the best front-line defense, including:
- Fencing installation
- Roller shutter integration
- Fitting security doors
- Upgrading locks
- and more
The more security barriers you can place around your property, the more secure your home and contents are, and the more you deter potential thieves.
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Have you found this article helpful? Will you implement any of these strategies on your next trip away from home?
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