Keeping your home safe when you go on holiday
Holidays tend to be the highlight of the year, but some of that joy is likely to be tarnished if you come home to a break-in.
Opportunistic thieves often target empty homes and specifically look for properties that are closed up while the owners are enjoying a trip.
The next time you head on holiday, rest assured that you’ve done everything you can to keep your home safe and sound during your break with some great advice from The last thing you want to be doing on your holiday is worrying about everything that you’ve left at home. Invest some time, energy and a little money in keeping your property safe and protected and you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy your holiday to its full potential.
Get started by thinking of ways to make your home look lived in. This is an excellent way to deter criminals who’re looking for an easy target and can be easily achieved in a number of ways. One is to ask friends or neighbours to make regular stop offs at your home. You could also buy a timer for your light switches, setting them to switch on and off at regular intervals to fool casual thieves. The Times Colonist has some other good tips for making your home look occupied.
Another popular option is to hire a house sitter. This can be an excellent solution, especially if you also have pets that need fed or plants that need watered, but you need to be careful about who you choose for the job. Before employing a house sitter, it’s important to ask for a reference and to be satisfied that you’re hiring a trustworthy person. A house sitter offers some extra advice for making sure the handover runs smoothly on Apartment Therapy.
Ways to boost home safety
There are other things you can do to make your home a less tempting prospect for thieves, including keeping quiet about your holiday plans online. Many smart criminals are paying attention to holiday announcements on social media sites and using them as a way to choose which houses to burgle. If you keep a spare key anywhere around your property, you should move it somewhere else for the duration of your trips and always double and triple check all of your windows and doors before you depart.
Ensuring your home is secure also means thinking about alarms and CCTV systems, head along to Which? for a comprehensive comparison of the different home security products available. A good alarm system can act as a deterrent and stop a thief before they’ve even considered entering your home. The Metropolitan Police have put together an excellent page with tips for protecting your home, perfect whether you’re off on holiday or simply want a safer place to stay. Take some of the great advice on offer and you’ll be able to head off on holiday filled with confidence.
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