Nothing is going to dash your post-holiday inner contentment more than the discovery of a kicked in door, smashed windows and stolen valuables.
Take the precautions below and you can be confident that a break-in, while you’re enjoying your holiday, will be much less likely.
- Don’t broadcast your trip – It’s natural that we want to share our excitement when a trip away is on the horizon, but there’s such a thing as over-sharing, thanks to social media. If your Facebook profile is open to everyone, then everyone, including someone looking for empty properties will know when you’re away. Check-ins will also give them an idea of your neighbourhood – all they then have to look for is the house that has all the telltale signs of absent occupants
- The “at-home” façade – An unkempt lawn and no lights are two such tell-tale signs. Outdoor security lights can be activated by movement or come on automatically at intermittent periods. Home automation systems allow you to control your indoor lights remotely using your smartphone so you can switch them on and off at certain times of the day
- Keep spare keys secure – Think the backdoor key under the pebble is hidden enough? It’s probably not. If a thief is willing to go to the effort of breaking down your door or coming in through the window, searching around for a spare key outside your property isn’t going to be much of a challenge. If you want people other than yourself to have keys, put them somewhere safe, like a mini outdoor key safe which is locked by a code, or deliver them directly
- Fake it – Not a dog person? You can still scare off would-be intruders with a dog alarm, or make them think twice with a security sign
- Keep watch – If you really want to keep an eye on your home yourself, there are smartphone connected security devices which feature cameras and motion detectors, so you can tune in to what’s happening at home, and be alerted of any suspicious activity with live footage. This allows you to respond to threats on your home as they happen, rather than when it’s too late to do anything about it
For a free review of your home insurance, contact the Chartered brokers at Hine Insurance on 0161 438 0000.
