How to Keep Your Home Safe When Away

When people go away on holiday, one of the major concerns is the security of their home and possessions. Statistically speaking, your home is more likely to be broken into while you are on holiday than when you are at home. For this reason, it is essential that you take appropriate measures to keep your home safe and secure. Here are some tips on how to do this!

Make the House look Lived In

A common mistake that people make when they go away is to close the curtains. During the day, this alerts criminals to your absence from your home. Instead, you need to take steps to make it look like you are at home. Leave the curtains open and leave the hallway light on. Another option is to fit timers that turn on the lights automatically when it goes dark for a set number of hours. This can trick potential criminals into believing you are at home and cut the risk of a crime being committed at your property. Also, cancel anything you get delivered to your home, such as newspapers or milk. Seeing bottles on your doorstep will alert criminals to your absence. Other steps to take include cutting the lawn and putting any outdoor items, such as bicycles away in the shed.

Have an Alarm System Fitted

If you don’t already have one, it makes sense to consider having a good alarm system fitted to your house. This is one of the best steps towards preventing crime. Even seeing one from the exterior of your property can deter a criminal from attempting to break in. In the event that they do try, the alarms will alert the neighbours and the emergency services.

Lock the Doors and Windows

It may seem obvious, but one of the simplest measures to take in securing your home is to lock the doors and windows. Most people remember to do the doors, but forget that the windows are also a great way for criminals to enter the property. Double check each and every door and window before leaving the house.

Speak to a Trusted Neighbour

If you have a neighbour you get on well with and trust, let them know that you are going away and give them information about when you are leaving and returning and give them some contact details in case they need to get hold of you while you are away. The neighbour can keep an eye on your house and, knowing that you are away, will be able to spot any unusual activity. Take the opportunity to ask them to water the plants or feed the goldfish too. This way, if a criminal is watching your house, they will see someone entering the property each day.

Don’t Leak Your Plans

Only tell people that you know and trust that you are going away. A mistake that is being made by many people in the age of the Internet is to boast on social media sites about their plans. This information can then be accessed by everyone that you are friends with online, as well as anyone they choose to share the information with. This puts your home at risk. Opportunists who discover you will not be at home for a while may take the chance to relieve you of your valuable possessions.

Pack Up Your Valuables

Another step you can take is to pack up your valuables and remove them from the house. This way, even if there is a burglary your valuable possessions, and anything of sentimental value, are safe and sound. This is especially a good idea if you are going away for a long period of time. If you choose to do this, you can store all your possessions in a self storage unit. Here your things will be safe and secure until your return and the only person with access to the unit will be yourself. Storage units are available on a short-term basis so they provide an ideal solution to storing your valuables while on holiday.

Ask Someone to Stay

Asking a trusted friend to stay at your house prevents the property from being left empty. If your trip away will last more than a few weeks, you could even rent it out as a holiday home for the duration of your absence. Provided you use a reputable agency, this is both a good way of keeping your house safe and also of making a bit of extra money at the same time.

By using these tips, you can improve the security of your home and possessions for the period of time you are away. Taking reasonable measures to increase security means you are less likely to have the awful experience of a break-in at your home and the loss of your personal and valuable possessions.

Going away for a longer period?

If you’re going on a longer holiday or stay abroad you might want to store some of your most valuable furniture and things in a secure and dry place where they will be monitored 24/7. We’re talking about a self storage facility. However, our self storage service is different from the traditional self storage unit you rent, as we actually come to your home and pick up your things for you. We bring a storage unit to your door, you load it and lock it and we collect the vault and take it back to our storage warehouse for safe keeping for as long as you want. Read more about our mobile self storage service here.

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