Our houses are never more vulnerable when we’re not in them and that fact is amplified when we go on holiday and leave our homes alone for a week or even two. It can be a source of great stress, which is a shame, as the whole point of going on holiday should be to chill out and forget your eve-ryday stresses. So, how can we prepare our homes for our holidays and make sure we keep potential thieves at bay and that everything is in one piece when we return?
Home security
Home security used to be an incredibly expensive luxury, but the advent of af-fordable super-fast broadband and the internet of things has meant it is no longer something that only the upper classes can afford. Indeed, for remarkably little initial outlay you can find a simple system that you can control remotely from your phone wherever you might be on the planet! Out-door sensor lights are also a great and affordable option and if you have security installed, make sure it’s advertised!
Check the lights
Before you leave on holiday, it should become a routine to go around the home making sure that everything that could potentially pose a fire risk is turned off and unplugged. This includes your wall and ceiling lights. Indeed, if you’re really going for 100% peace-of-mind you could even unscrew all of your lightbulbs!
Keep a low profile
Don’t make a big song and dance about the fact you’re going away, particularly on social media. You don’t know who is watching your Facebook for evidence of an upcoming holiday so you can never be too safe. Also, make sure your phone number is not listed on your social media pages as it’s far too easy now to trace an address from a phone number.
Don’t leave a key
By all means leave a key with your neighbours or your close friends/family members, but don’t even think about leaving a key in a ‘clever hiding place’ as no matter how clever you think that hiding place might be, a professional thief will almost certainly know where to look. Protecting your home should be more important than convenience anyway.
Make it look like you’re home
By cancelling your weekly newspaper and magazine subscriptions or getting someone to clear out your letterbox every day, it’ll make it look like you’re still home. Also, investing in some automatic switches that turn the lights on when it gets dark could be an option if you don’t mind leaving your lights plugged in.
Invest in a safe
Most thieves will check the bedroom first and that’s where most of us keep our valuables. Instead, keep all of your most valuable items in a safe in an unusual location and even if the burglars find it they might see it as not worthwhile. Keep your home valuables safe with a lock-box or safe and you’ll never worry about your family jewels again! Check out this list of biometric home safes
Lock up
Finally, this might seem like an obvious ‘tip’ but you’d be surprised how many homes get broken into every year simply because a family forgot to lock all of the front and rear doors and windows before they left for their family vacation. And remember – you can never check too many times!
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