Seven Tips To Secure Your Home Before Going On Holiday

The school summer holidays have finally arrived, and over the next few weeks, millions across the UK will be going away for a well-earned break. However, leaving your home unoccupied makes it particularly vulnerable to break-ins and burglary attempts. According to Crime Rate, there were 252,702 reported burglaries in 2023. 

There are a few things you can do to prevent your home from being ransacked. Intruders will check for signs that a home doesn’t have anyone in it at that specific time. The last thing they want is to bump into someone. 

Here at Household Quotes, we want to make sure that you properly secure your home before going away. So our expert has revealed his seven tips below.

Before you go away make trusted family members, friends or neighbours aware of the dates your home will be unoccupied. This will let them know to keep an eye on your home and look out for abnormalities. You might want to give them a key so they can enter your property to check and make sure everything is good. If your neighbour spots a stranger trying to gain access to your home, and they know you’re away, then they will call the police right away.

An open or unlocked window is an easy thing to forget about before you go on holiday. Before you lock your front door for the final time, go into each room of your property to see if every window has been closed and locked. This is important as open windows will attract unwanted attention from intruders, as it offers an easy way in without causing damage or making much noise.

When we’re away a lot of post will build up, this will normally be at the bottom of our front door. Try your best to cover the view of this from the outside, if someone sees a lot of unopened mail then they’ll assume that the home is unoccupied and the owners are away for some time. This could also link to the first point I made, where you could let trusted neighbours or friends come into your home to collect your mail before it builds up.

Going on holiday is an exciting time and it can be tempting to let everyone on social media know of your travels. However, as good as your intentions are, there are opportunists on social media who will see it as a home that is being left unattended. Try and wait until you’ve returned home to post those fantastic getaway photos. Another option is tightening your privacy settings so that only family members and close friends can see your posts.

An alarm is a great way to ensure that your home will remain secure while you are away. They work by sounding a loud noise when someone enters the property but does not enter in a key code to turn it off. This sound will make surrounding neighbours aware that someone is in your home who shouldn’t be there. Certain alarms are also linked with security companies who will contact the police as soon as possible. Installation prices start from £500, so it is not as an expensive investment as you might think.

There are many other ways that your home can look unoccupied, this includes; overgrown grass, deliveries by the front door, bins not put out and lights that are constantly switched off. All of these could attract a burglar who happens to be passing by looking for an opportunity. If you’re going away for less than ten days then cut your grass just before you leave. For people going for longer, then ask a family member, friend or neighbour if they will do it for you. You could ask them to pick up any deliveries and put the bins out and away, whilst also turning different lights on to make it look like someone is home.

If someone unfortunately does enter your home, make it as hard as possible for them to find your valuable items. Hide them in places that would be difficult to find, but easy to remember for you. Avoid obvious places like under the bed, and think of potential storage spaces that are unique to your property.

‘’We all want to relax whilst we are away, so give yourself the peace of mind that your home will be secure. Following these tips should hopefully help prevent your property from being burgled, as that is the last thing anyone wants to come home to.

The security of your home is often judged by how much money you want to invest into alarm systems and similar measures. But I’ve also included budget tips that should help people no matter their budget.’’