Collaborative Post¦ When you go away on holiday with the family, your home is at risk of being burgled. If it is obvious that nobody is there, you will be a target. But you don’t want to spend the whole holiday worrying about the house because you won’t be able to relax and have a good time, so you should make sure that the house is safe before you go. These are the best ways to protect your house while you are on holiday.
Image Source – Pixabay CCO License
Be Careful With Social Media
A lot of people like to post about their holiday on social media, which is fine. It’s a good way to share pictures with the rest of your family and friends, but you have to be careful about what you post and when. If you post a lot of photos while you are away, or post details about when you are leaving, you are just advertising the fact that your house is empty.
A lot of people get caught out because they post pictures of their boarding pass as well, and people can use that information to find out where they live and exactly how long they will be away from the house. It also opens you up to identity theft. As a general rule, you should always wait until you are back and then post all of your photos on social media. That way, you don’t advertise the fact that the house is empty.
Ask A Neighbour To Watch The House
The easiest way to put your mind at ease is to ask a neighbour to keep an eye on the house for you. They could even go round once a day to water the plants and open and close the curtains so it appears that somebody is there. If you are on holiday in the UK, it’s easy enough to call them every few days and check in so you don’t have to worry.
Redirect Your Post
A big pile of unopened post next to the door is a clear sign that somebody is out of the house, so you need to do something about it while you are on holiday, especially if you are away for a few weeks. If you have somebody going to the house, you can ask them to pick it up for you. If not, you should consider a virtual address service (like this one at https://physicaladdress.com, for example). You can redirect your post to them and then they will scan it and send digital copies by email. That means that it doesn’t pile up at the house and if there are any important letters that you need to check, you can do it while you are away.
Don’t Hide A Key
This is the biggest home security mistake that you can make. People always think that they’re being clever with their hiding place but they’re not, and it will be found. If you leave a key out, you are just making it easier for people to break in. If you have somebody watching the house for you, just give them the key.
As long as you remember these simple tips, you can make sure that your house is safe and just focus on enjoying your holiday.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
Cover photo by Mike from Pexels