In a weeks time, I will be in Crete! I’m very excited for my first holiday with my boyfriend. We’ve lived together for almost a year and we’ve still not been abroad together yet! This means this will also be the first time we’ve left our house for more than a night.
We’re all quick to make lists of what we need to buy and take with us for our holiday and cram in lots of work in the few days before we go away – of you’ll be busy scheduling content while you’re away if you are a blogger! But one very important thing not to forget about is the safety and security of your home while you are in a different country.
It’s not very nice to think that someone might watch our home while we away – then decide to break in, stealing our valuable and sentimental items.
I have been broken into before and it’s such an awful feeling. Not only because they stole my laptop, new video camera, GHDs and my xbox connect – but just the thought of someone being in my bedroom, pulling the covers off my bed and rummaging through the doors is so unsettling. It’s a yucky feeling that can make feel a bit scared to be in your own home on your own.
People often go on holiday for two weeks at a time, leaving their home unoccupied and at risk. Here are some tips to prevent you getting burgled.
Check your house insurance.
Make sure your insurance covers you for when you leave the house unoccupied for days at a time. Being away for a set amount of days can render your policy void.
If you are going to be away for longer than your home insurance covers you for, you may need to look into Unoccupied Home Insurance.
Make it look like there is someone home.
Don’t leave your house looking unoccupied! There are many things you can do to make it appear like you are home.
- Buy timers for your lights so they switch on at night.
- Keep your curtains open – closed curtains are very obvious during the day! Unless you have a neighbour who is kind enough to come in and close them for you!
- If you drive to the airport, as a neighbour to park in your drive or outside your house.
Alarm your home.
Look into getting an alarm system before you go away. You can get different alarms at different costs:
- Alarm only.
- An alarm that triggers a call to your phone.
- Smart home security systems that will contact you through an app like Verisure Smart Alarms.
- Full security systems that will send someone out to respond to the intrusion.
Alarms work great as a deterrent by having the alarm box displayed on the front of your house, but also there’s nothing like a loud siren to scare a burglar off!
CCTV systems that let you view your home from your mobile device might also be something to look into!
Keep your valuables safe.
We have lots of expensive things these days – laptops, iPads, cameras, games consoles. That’s not even taking into account expensive jewellery and other things of sentimental value.
Make sure these things are out of sight when you go on holiday. Put them in a place that’s hard to find and not your typical ‘at the bottom of your knicker drawer’ kind of safe. It’s a good idea to dot things around the house rather than keep everything together.
Don’t leave spare car keys around if you are leaving your car! A great place to hide things is a loft that requires ladders to get up to. Not too many burglars are going to carry ladders, or attempt to break into your garage first to steal yours before breaking into the house!
Have a locksmith in mind
Be prepared if you do get burgled. Ensure you already know of a 24-hour locksmith like SF Locksmiths Doncaster who can quickly fix and replace broken locks.
Keep it off social media.
Don’t tell people you are going on holiday on Facebook and Twitter if it’s known where you live. Many of us are friends with people we haven’t spoken to for years and years. You never know who you can trust!
Turn everything off.
Remember to turn everything off at the sockets, including your oven, to stop the risk of fire and also to save money on the bills. You’ll be helping the environment at the same time!
See what else you can do to save energy while you are on holiday here!
Lock it shut!
Make sure all windows are shut and locked. Don’t leave any keys in sight or reach of a burglar. Leaving a window or door unsecured could void your home insurance! Leaving them in view could be a way for a burglar to get in and out of your house quickly, with your possessions in hand!
Going on holiday should be a fun time for you and your family. Don’t leave yourself open to burglary while you are away. I cannot imagine anything worse than being in a different country knowing someone has broken into your house!
Follow the tips above for a holiday without worry!
Related posts:
Yay for holiday! Ah you will have the best time! I love getting ready to go away but I don’t think I put as much thought into leaving my home unoccupied as I should do! I would never have thought to check if my home insurance covers me being away for one!
Sarah 🙂
I always laugh at people who like to announce their holidays on social media. It’s like an invitation to thieves.
Keep it off social media and probably off a public blog too! X
These are all really good tips. We had a burglar alarm but the people who sold us the house didn’t tell us how to use it!!! We don’t know the keycode! It is highly annoying!
Hope you enjoy Crete!
I do all of this as best I can when I go on holiday, but I always worry that I’ve left a plug on, or left a window open all the time I’m away! Tania Michele xx