When you’re soaking up the sun on a tropical island with an ice-cold fruity cocktail in your hand, you shouldn’t have a care in the world, but that’s not always the case. You can often end up spoiling your time away by fretting over the safety of your home and your precious belongings.
But fear not, as today we take a look at the 5 top tips for keeping your home safe and deterring burglars whilst you’re on your travels.
Make sure your house looks occupied
If burglars believe your house is occupied, then this decreases the likelihood of them trying to break in and take any of your belongings. There are numerous measures that you can take in order to make your house look occupied even when it is not. These include:
- Leave curtains and blinds open (having closed curtains in the day is a giveaway that the house is unoccupied and this will only draw unwanted attention)
- Time your lights to come on at random points in the day and night
- Ask a trusted neighbour or family member to water your plants (burglars will believe that someone is occupying the house if your plants and garden is still being looked after)
- Cancel any milk, newspaper or regular deliveries as items left on your doorstep will indicate an absent owner (or ask your neighbour to remove any items they see)
Don’t tell everyone that you’re going away
You should tell your immediate family, friends and neighbours, but try to keep those who know to a minimum. The more people that know you’re away, the more who know your house is unoccupied and this increases the likelihood of burglary and break-ins.
Avoid boasting on social media altogether! If you broadcast to your social media ‘friends’ that you’re on holiday, they will all know that your house is unoccupied and in turn, this increases the target. And don’t forget, if your account isn’t private then anyone can find out you’re away from your home, friend or not. Don’t worry though, you can post all your holiday snaps when you return.
Check your insurance policy
It is important that you have the right household insurance, even more so when you go on holiday. Some insurance policies may fail to protect your home and your belongings if your property is unoccupied for a certain number of days. Likewise, your insurance may not cover your assets if you grant access to a house-sitter or family member. You should contact your home insurer and ask the appropriate questions, ensuring that your home and your belongings will be protected whilst you’re away.
Keep valuables out of site
You should make sure valuables can’t be seen through windows, and you should hide them in an unobvious place whilst you’re away. The first place any burglar will look is under a mattress or in a sock drawer, so think of unique places you can hide objects. Burglars will know the most common hiding areas and the so-called ‘clever’ hiding spaces so keep this in mind.
If possible you should take any precious belongings with you on your travels, or at the least, you should distribute items throughout your house – if a burglar finds one hidden valuable or money, they’re likely to take it and get out the property as fast as possible rather than keep searching – so don’t hide all your belongings together!
Protect yourself when travelling
Just like your home insurance, make sure you have the right travel insurance to protect both yourself and your luggage.
Don’t display your home address anywhere on your case, instead, you should give an alternative address such as your work address so your luggage can be returned if you lose it.
If you follow these 5 top tips then you will have complete peace of mind knowing that your home and your belongings are safe and protected from intruders whilst you’re on holiday.