Planning a holiday is an exciting time for anyone. With so much to think about, from your destination, booking the flights, overnight accommodation before you fly, where you’ll be staying on holiday, all inclusive or half board – it’s just all so exciting! But before you get too carried away, you need to ensure that everything at home is safe, secure and sorted before you travel.
Here you’ll find some home security tips you can put in place before you head off on your holidays.
Before you travel – have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Having cover whilst you’re travelling is just as important as having your passport. Whether you need a standard policy or united healthcare pre-existing conditions cover, having a policy in place will ensure that you can fully enjoy your next adventure.
Now, back to your home security tips.
No one’s home
The house is going to be empty, so if the airport isn’t too far away then consider getting a taxi and leaving your car on the driveway. You could even leave the keys with a friend or family member and ask them to move the car and have it pointing the other way every couple of days. Avoid having anything delivered whilst you’re away, a pile of parcels from Amazon at the back door will certainly give it away that no one is home.
Also, try to avoid posting about your absence on social media. Letting the world know that your home is going to be empty for a couple of weeks, even if you think you’re only sharing with friends, you don’t know who else can see your posts.
Think like a burglar
Have a look at the outside of your property and look at it from the point of view of an intruder. How would you try to gain entry? The garden gate with the broken lock? The faulty sash window? If you think there’s a possibility of someone getting in then you need to address it now before you fly thousands of miles away.
Lighting
Motion sensor lighting is very popular and could be enough to deter a burglar. However this will only work if they think that someone is at home and they might wonder what has set the light off. So, you need to make sure that it looks as though someone is at home.
Occupied
There are plenty of options here:
Timers on lights and electrical items such as the TV and radio will certainly make it look like someone is at home. But the TV on at 5am and the kitchen light on in the middle of the afternoon? It might look a little odd.
Thanks to downloadable apps and the latest technology, you can operate and control everything from your kitchen blinds, to the lights, and everything else from your smartphone, anywhere in the world. Check out some options online.
You probably don’t want to come home to a messy house, but tidy countertops and spotless floors look suspicious. Don’t be afraid to leave a few books here and there and a little mess.
