Do you often sit on holiday worrying if the house is okay back home? If you follow these tips, you will be able to leave all of your worries at home this Summer.
Post
It’s the most obvious give away. Nobody would leave their property with all of their post crammed in the letterbox if they were at home. It makes it very obvious to criminals that the house is empty when you have take-away menus and newspapers left on the front mat
You could cancel your mail for the time you’re away to stop it all mounting up, or you could ask Royal Mail to store it with their Keepsafe option. They will store your letters for up to 66 days and you can collect them all when you get back! It doesn’t only protect your property, but also your private details and bank statements.
Lights
It is advisable to put your lights on a timer. It’s not very often that we sit in the complete darkness of our homes doing nothing, so it’s a dead giveaway to a burglar when a house is in complete darkness, unless of course it’s night time. Have a timer set for the evening so a few lights come on for an hour or so and then switch back off during the night.
Appliances
You may also be frightened of your property coming under threat from fire. Some fires are caused by household appliances left without maintenance. In this case you could turn off all of your electronics at the socket to give yourself peace of mind.
Don’t forget to empty the fridge and freezer before doing this!
Heating
If you’ve decided to get away during the Winter to avoid the rain and snow, don’t forget that your home is still left in the cold! You should set your heating to come on for an hour every day or night to keep the pipes warm. The last thing you want is to come from your holiday to a flooded home because a frozen pipe has burst. For more information on problems with pipes, read Claiming for Broken Pipes.
Alarm
It goes without saying, but don’t forget to set your alarm! Nothing scares a burglar away quicker than having the whole neighbourhood know that something is going on. This is when you appreciate those nosy neighbours who will keep an eye on your property.
Curtains
It’s all well and good having your lights on a timer and no letters by the door, but it’s also pretty obvious you’re not home when the curtains are wide open and the empty living room is illuminated to the whole street. Most of us close our curtains on the afternoon to have some privacy when we relax, so you may want to invest in some blinds that can be angled so that people can’t see in, but don’t make the property look empty.
Security
This is very obvious, however sometimes overlooked. Check every door and window is locked! Don’t forget about the shed or garage either. Before you leave, have one last run around the house to check that the property is secure and the alarm is set.
If you have huge concerns about your properties security, you could install surveillance to be sure that if anything does happen you have it on camera. Just having cameras on show can also deter criminals altogether.
Neighbours
You don’t want to broadcast to the whole world that you’re going on holiday. Most of us put it on social media without a second thought, but you’re actually advertising your empty property to criminals! Try and leave the boasting until you’re back home, or change who can see your posts to trustworthy friends so only they can see your posts.
This doesn’t mean don’t tell anybody either. The best idea when you’re going on holiday is to have a friend or family member come round and check the property for you. If you have somebody you trust, they can come and make the house look occupied and clear your post for you while you’re away. Make sure they know your alarm number and have keys to get in and out of the property. If you have a neighbour coming to keep an eye on the property, you can also ask them to open and shut the curtains for you if you didn’t get any blinds.
Disappoint
If you’re best efforts have failed and a criminal has discoveredyour property is vulnerable, don’t make it easy for them to get away with all of your belongings!Take valuable items to a family member’s house or hide everything in a secure safe.This way the burglar is only going to be disappointed when they break in and realise there is nothing worth stealing.
Pets
Some pets can make great deterrents for thieves. If you have a dog in the house, the majority of people don’t dare risk getting in their way to steal something. Make sure that if you’re leaving your pet at home you have somebody to come over and feed them. If not you should organise your pet to go to a family members house or kennels.
Insurance
Last, but definitely not least, property insurance is essential when you’re going on holiday. If you’ve decided to go on a long trip around the world, you will need a specialist policy to cover your property while it is unoccupied, otherwise your home insurance policy should cover you for up to 30 days, however you should check your policy details for specifics.
Your insurance policy can cover you for a range of risks, don’t leave it up to chance that something could go wrong. Get an instant online quote for Home Insurance and Unoccupied Property Insurance now.
Our blog is full of useful advice that you can sue to protect your home, you may also like to read Severe Weather Warning- How to Protect Your Home. To never miss an update or competition, you can follow UKinsuranceNET on Facebook and Twitter.