Home Security tips for when you go on holiday

Across the UK, School Holidays are fast approaching.

And for so many of us, this presents the opportunity to either travel in the UK or go abroad to catch some sun after so many dark winter months. But this of course means leaving your home unattended.

So we wanted to share some home security top tips so that you don’t need to be worrying about home security while you are off having a well deserved break.

1 – Don’t advertise that you are away.

From sharing holiday pictures online to leaving the wheelie bins at your front door 5 days before they are due to be collected. Criminals look for any and all signs that a home is unoccupied as it presents an ideal target. A holiday snap of you and your family on your first day on holiday can easily be shared by friends. All it takes is one like or comment on social media to the wrong person and you are advertising that you are not at home and neither is the rest of the family.

And if you have milk delivered, make sure to stop the weekly delivery while you are away. Milk bottles sitting at a front door step for even one day can be enough to raise flags that you are out.

2 – Lock all the doors and windows

It may seem obvious but before you leave to go on holiday, make sure that all the doors and windows are locked. And is the garage locked? After so long in lockdown, many home owners have become complacent about home security and after some fairly good weather over the summer, it could be the case that one or two windows have been shut but not locked. An unlocked window is like rolling out the red carpet to criminals.

3 – Home Security Systems and Intruder Alarms

As many as 60% of burglars in the UK that are casing out a potential target can be deterred by an alarm system. Having an alarm box fitted can act as a valuable deterrent against criminals. They are looking for easy targets – not challenges. An intruder alarm is a great way to protect your home whether you are on holiday or simply out for a meal with friends one evening.

However….fake camera systems and ‘beware of the dog’ signs have actually been proven to make your home more vulnerable.  If you are going to advertise ‘security measures’, make sure that they are real security measures.

4 – Make it look like you are at home

If the lights are off and there is a pile of mail at the front door, it paints a pretty obvious picture that nobody is home. But some lights around the home operating on timers can make a big different.  Even having a friend or neighbour to swing by and collect the mail for you can be enough to make it seem like the house is still occupied. Keep the lawn mowed and have a car in the driveway. There is a whole list of things you can do to make it seem like it is ‘business as usual’ at home. And that is what you want the robbers to think.

5 – Put valuables out of site

A laptop on the coffee table or car keys sitting so temptingly on the hall table are all things that criminals are looking for. When your valuable items are all clearly on display, it is basically acting as an advert to criminals that says ‘look at all the nice things we have ready to be pinched’. Keep them out of site.

Remember that a home that has an intruder alarm system and looks occupied with valuables out of sight presents more challenges to a robber than one that is clearly unoccupied with lots of lovely things to steal in clear view.

Find out more

Throughout the UK, crime unfortunately is a daily fact of life. Feeling safe in your own home should be a guarantee but with burglary a major factor to contend with, knowing that your home is safe and secure should not be taken lightly. With modern alarm systems, there is no more need for messy, disruptive and complex wiring systems and mains powered sensors – Everything can be done using wireless systems. This means that we don’t need to drill lots of holes in walls or significantly alter the layout of your home.

Our Fire and Security Services are NSI Gold and NSI Fire Gold accredited and we can design, install and offer maintenance contracts for Fire Systems, Access Control Systems, CCTV and Intruder Alarms nationwide.

If you would like to know more about intruder alarms and our Manned 24 hour Call-out Service, please get in touch.