Before you go away – home security checklist

Before you go away

The thought of going away on holiday is very exciting, but leaving your home unoccupied whilst you’re in another country is highly unnerving. This home security checklist article is here to help you out with some tips on keeping your home secure, regardless of whether you are there or not!

Burglars don’t tend to make organized intrusions, usually using the opportunist technique and targeting homes which look vacant. By attempting to portray the illusion that someone is in your home, it will ward the majority of opportunist burglars away.

Before going away anywhere you should always check your household insurance, making sure you have the required cover and that it remains valid even whilst you are away. You will need to ensure that there are no exclusions in the policy that could render it void, for instance, if you are away for a certain amount of days. Or whether the validity remains intact if a non-family member is staying in your home or looking after/checking up on pets.

Make sure your home doesn’t look unoccupied. Keep your grass cut and do not allow it to become overgrown, as this would suggest vacancy, or at the least indifference to the appearance of your home. By showing the occupant doesn’t care about the look of their home it suggests that if a break-in were to occur it may be more likely to go unnoticed at first. Ensure all washing is brought inside and left away from all view of windows, as leaving washing out to dry for 2 weeks can be seen as quite suspicious. Cancel any and all deliveries that could arrive whilst you are away, such as milk and paper. Having bottles of untouched milk and stacks of newspapers lying on your doorstep is a sure sign that no one is home. Use a trusted neighbour or close friend’s help. Enlisting someone to visit your house regularly to water the plants, remove any post that may have been delivered and even have access to your driveway will create the illusion that the home is occupied.

Take the appropriate security measures needed. Before leaving, you MUST make sure that all doors and windows are locked securely, paying extra attention to where you leave the keys. Do not leave keys in view of a window or glass panel in your home, breaking through a window to gain access to your keys can have detrimental consequences. Once a burglar has a copy of your keys, whether that be for your home, business or car, they can then gain access freely whenever they please whilst you are away. Lock away all gardening tools and equipment, these can be used by the burglar in order to attempt to gain access to your home, as well as any toys or bikes.

Get a home security system if the budget doesn’t stretch to this then maybe set up automatic lights in and around your home, these can be set with timers so that they come on randomly throughout the day and night – whenever you set them to. This will make it seem as though there are people inside and thus deter burglars from targeting your property

It is crucial to keep all valuable items, which you are not taking with you, hidden in a secure place. Valuables should not be left in view of any windows as this can draw attention to the home and could result in it being targeted. By keeping your valuables and important items locked away in a home safe you can be sure that your possessions will remain secure even in the event of a home intrusion. At Associated Security Solutions we have a wide range of products and services available in order to make your home and business as secure as possible. give us call us on 0161 832 2777 to discuss your security needs