Follow these simple home security tips, and you’ll be able to relax on holiday, knowing that your home is secure.
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You’ve picked the perfect holiday location, packed up your summer holiday essentials, and even chosen your summer reading list.
You’re all ready to go on holiday, but will you be coming back to find your home just as you left it?
No-one likes to think about their home being broken into, especially when you’re relaxing on holiday.
But when you’re away on holiday, it’s easy for your home to look unoccupied. Little things can give it away, like your driveway being empty for two weeks, or your house being in darkness in the evenings.
For a truly relaxing holiday, it’s important to take a few simple home security steps, that can make your home more secure.
Follow these home security tips, and you’ll be able to relax fully while you’re away on holiday.
Set an Alarm
This may need a bit of prior planning, but installing a good quality home security alarm is a big step towards securing your home.
You may like to install some CCTV cameras around your home as well. Not only will these allow you to check in while you’re away for peace of mind, but if the worst does happen, you may catch the perpetrators in action.
If you have an alarm fitted, then be sure to set it before you leave. And if you’re asking a friend to check in on your house, make sure they know the deactivation pin or have a deactivation key fob if needed.
Check your Insurance
It’s a good idea to check your home insurance policy before you go away on holiday.
Obviously you need to check that your policy is still in date, and that you’re happy with the sum covered by your insurance. If necessary, use a comparison service like Compare the Market to make sure you’re getting a great deal on your insurance.
Also, your insurers may have certain terms regarding securing your property while you’re away on holiday. So it’s worth checking this in advance of your trip.
And take care about what you post on social media. If you broadcast that you’re going to be away from home, it could invalidate your policy.
Store Valuables Securely
Make sure that any valuables are stored securely out of sight. If you have a home safe, then this is perfect for storing valuable documents or items of jewellery.
Check that you haven’t left laptops or expensive gadgets lying around. And if you don’t have anywhere secure to store them in your house, it might be a good idea to ask a friend if you can store them at their house while you are away.
If you have expensive items that are too big to store in a household safe, you could put them up in the loft while you’re away.
It’s also a good idea to use a security marker to write your postcode on valuable items. If your house is broken into, this can make it more likely that you’ll be reunited with your property.
Make your home look occupied
If you’re travelling in the warmer months, then it’s a good idea to mow your front lawn as close to your departure date as possible. That way, your grass shouldn’t get too overgrown during your holiday.
And if you have a drive, try to either leave your own car on it or ask someone to park there while you’re away.
Setting up some timer switches to turn lights and your TV on and off will also make it look like there’s someone at home.
Cancel Deliveries
Nothing makes it more obvious that you’re away than milk piling up on your doorstep, or a stack of mail on your doormat.
So make sure you cancel any deliveries of milk, newspaper or any delivery boxes that you have. And do it discreetly, don’t broadcast details of your absence to everyone in the shop!
If you’ve asked someone to check in on your house daily, then you can ask them to move your post from the doormat.
But you may prefer to have your mail held until you return from your holiday. The Royal Mail Keepsafe service will hold your post for you, and it’s easy to set up over the phone (it doesn’t cover courier deliveries)
Ask a friend to help
If possible, asking a friend or neighbour to pop in to your house occasionally can help to keep your home secure
They can move post, open or close curtains and generally make the place look like it’s occupied.
And if you have a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, you can ask them to keep an eye on your property while you’re away.
Lock up and Final Check
Don’t forget to lock any sheds or other outbuildings as part of your pre-holiday security check. And tidy away any tools or ladders that you might have around the garden. You don’t want to provide easy access to your home while you’re away.
Just before you leave, make sure that you lock all doors and check that windows are locked as well. If you have a garage that has an internal door into your house, then make sure you don’t miss that one.
Once you’ve locked all of the doors, make sure that all extra keys are stored in a secure place. If someone is checking on your house, let them know where you are storing the spare keys in case they need them.
And don’t forget to turn off your water supply and unplug any electrical items that you aren’t putting on a timer switch.