HOLIDAY SECURITY TIPS

You’ve booked your holiday, packed all the family’s suitcases and you’re ready to go. Now it’s time to double check your home security for when you’re on holiday. Most burglaries are opportunists and 60% happen when people aren’t in and unfortunately we hear it all too often that people have returned home from a holiday and are greeted with the aftermath of a burglary. So I thought I’d share my easy holiday security tips with you to reduce the chances of it happening to you.

Firstly, I’d suggest writing a checklist so when you’re in the car or on the plane you don’t have any last minute panics. Jot down my home security tips below and tick through them when you’re done.

Limit Social Media Posts

On average, people have around 400+ friends on Facebook alone, that’s not including other social media channels. These are people you’re very close to, some you may have met on holiday, others are friends or even friends of friends – the point is you don’t necessarily know who is reading your posts.

Of course you want to share the exciting countdown but aim to not give too much information away – keep dates, your home address and how long you’re going away for private. Check your privacy settings too so you know that only your friends can see your posts.

Visibility

Be mindful of what people can see when they look through your window, for example, don’t leave your laptop on the sofa near the window as this could entice people in. Burglars aim to get in and out as quick as possible so make it hard from them to see and potentially grab valuable stuff.

Similarly, make sure very valuable items that you’re not taking away with you are locked away or in a safe place and not in typical hiding places such as sock drawers.

Limit Access

If you’ve been in the garden recently, make sure all tools are out of sight and better yet, locked away, so they cannot be used to break an entry point. Lock all windows, doors and your garden gate, making sure any spare sets of keys are out of sight too.

Cancel Deliveries

If you get milk, groceries or the paper delivered make sure you cancel it so that it’s not left on your doorstep – a sure sign someone isn’t home.

Ask a family member or a friend to pop round

If you have a family member or a friend who can help – ask them if they would mind popping in to check on the house to turn on a light, draw the curtains, put the bins away or out, pick up any junk mail and just generally be seen around. 

Use Timer Switches

There are some brilliant phone apps or switches available where you can schedule your lights and TV to come on whilst you’re away.

Make sure you stick to UK times and typical behaviour, for example schedule the lights to turn on when you usually get home from work and don’t leave them on all night. Also, have lights timed to come on in rooms you’d be likely to use, such as your lounge, rather than just the hallway.

Whether you’ve just moved into your home, going away on holiday soon or just want to check how secure your home is, we offer a free security check for homes in South London, some parts of East London and North Kent, to put your mind completely at ease.  We’ll also tell you if security measures in your home meet the minimum insurance requirements, so you won’t get a nasty shock if you have to make a claim.

Happy Holidays!