Millions of holidaymakers will be heading on an Easter getaway this week. But whilst Brits will be jetting off to glorious beaches, snowy mountains, and city breaks, this means millions of homes will be left unattended making you more vulnerable and at potential risk of a burglary.
Whilst it can be worrying leaving your home – your castle – there are some steps you can take to try and reduce any risks. Here are some top tips on securing your home.
1. Be mindful of social media
While sun-lounger selfies, shots of you skiing down the slope, or family filled fun holiday snaps may make you the envy of your family and friends, it’s easy to forget that you could be letting millions of people know your home has been left unattended. You wouldn’t leave your front door open or put a sign-up letting people know there’s no one home, and you could be doing just that on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and other social media sites. If you’re tempted to post those snaps, then ensure your privacy settings are up to date and secure.
2. Ask someone to keep a watchful eye
If you’re due to leave your house empty whilst on a trip then it’s worth enlisting the help of a friend, family member or trusted neighbour to check your property to ensure everything looks in order. If your budget allows, then you could hire a house sitter, particularly if you’re away for an extended period of time
3. Use lights as a deterrent
Darkness can be a burglar’s best friend, so ensure you have lighting – whether they’re sensored or standard floodlights – at the front of your house, down the side and at the rear in the garden. This will alert you to any goings-on around your home. For inside your home, you could install a timer to set lights to come on once it gets dark – choose a light in a visible room at the front of the house as this will create the impression that someone is inside and potentially deter thieves.
4. Set your home security system when leaving
It might sound obvious, but as you excitedly leave your home to dash to the airport or set on that long drive – particularly if it’s early in the morning or you’re in a rush – it’s easy to forget to set your alarm or forget you have done, so then it plays on your mind. A burglar alarm is not only a visible prevention to potential burglars, but if someone does attempt to break in, then the alarm would alert neighbours and the police hopefully before any damage takes place.
5. Make sure sheds, garages and summerhouses are locked
If you have a shed, garage, summerhouse, or something similar then it’s important to ensure you have locked them appropriately. You might have valuables in them that you wouldn’t want to provide easy access to. All windows and doors should have extra padlocks and bolts – preferably at the top and the bottom of the door. You could also add an alarm to these, even a battery-operated one will do the job.
6. Make sure valuables are out of sight
Remove the temptation of thieves and make sure any valuable items cannot be seen from outside the house through the windows. You don’t want them to potentially get a glimpse of what could potentially be inside. Whilst thinking that closing the blinds or curtains may be a deterrent, it could also highlight that no one is home – particularly during the day – so be mindful of this before jetting/driving off.
7. Don’t leave a spare key outside
If you usually leave a spare key outside the property in a plant pot, under the doormat, on top of the light, or in a similar location, then be careful. Thieves can be clever and will know of the potential hiding places. If you need to leave a key for a loved one to check in on your home then either give it to them before heading off or leave it with a trusted neighbour.
*Brian Murphy is the Head of Lending at Mortgage Advice Bureau
