The start of the year is when a lot of us like to book our holidays. With the grey days of winter hanging over us like a dark cloud, the soft drizzle of rain wetting our cheeks whenever we step outside the house, and the anti-climax that always follows Christmas and New Year, it’s nice to give yourself something to look forward to, and some time away is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Once you have your holiday booked, it’s never too early to start planning your time away, from your wardrobe choices through to who you’ll entrust with the care of your pets. One of your most important considerations will be how to keep your house safe and secure, and you can organise this in advance too.
If you need to keep your home protected whilst you’re away, whether you’re travelling in the dreary days of March or the blazing sunshine of June, here are three top tips to help you…
#1: Organise Someone to Visit Your Property
There will always be opportunists who strike when the time is right, but most career thieves are a little more cautious. Crime prevention surveys have shown that the majority of offenders perform some surveillance before committing a burglary, so one of the best ways to deter them is to leave behind subtle signs that your home is occupied. The simplest way to do this is to have someone visiting daily. Ask them to open or close a different set of curtains each time they stop by, or else to move your bins from one location to another. Provided that it looks like there is someone in residence, your home should be no more at risk than it is when you’re around. If you are going away for an extended period of time, you could try and find some vacant property security. This will put your mind at ease and allow you to enjoy your holiday a lot more.
#2: Create Deterrents
As we explained above, most burglaries are not opportunistic, so if you can make your home seem like it’s more effort than it’s worth to break into, then this should act as a fantastic deterrent. The longer it would take a thief to gain access, the better, so take the time to ensure that all of your doors and windows are fitted with strong locks, along with your garage doors and garden gates. Floodlights and visible alarm systems will also make your home much harder to sneak into, so it may be a good idea to invest in these before you go. You might want to take a look at this article from HomeLet for some more in-depth ideas.
#3: Ensure that Your Insurance Will Cover You
As a closing precaution, you ought to ensure that you have adequate insurance cover in place should the worst happen. It’s a good idea to look for a comprehensive policy, preferably one that will cover you for contents too. Be sure to read the small print before you make any final decisions, so that you can fly away knowing that you have a backup plan in place in the event of your home being burgled.
Make sure that you can enjoy your holiday to the fullest by following these three top tips today, and ensuring that your home will be safe and secure whilst you’re living it up abroad.
