Read some handy tips to help you keep your home extra secure as you go on holiday, for effective valuables protection and peace of mind.

Any trip is really exciting. It’s always great to have new experiences and make new memories. However, it can sometimes be a bit of a worry when it comes to leaving your home empty. Nobody wants to come back from holiday to a house that has been broken into. As well as items stolen it can be really distressing to deal with the mess left behind and to know that your property has been violated. To help give you extra peace of mind during your trip, we’ve got some handy tips to help you make your home extra secure when you go on holiday:

Doorstep Cameras

Doorstep cameras are available for all budgets, and are very handy when it comes to remotely keeping an eye on who is approaching the property. You can literally check on your phone the camera is alerted, enabling you to potentially catch a criminal in the act and call the police if you need to. Even if you see the footage after the person has broken in, you have evidence on camera giving you the best possible chances of recovering your belongings. These kinds of technologies on your doorstep are also a great deterrent, helping prevent the break in happening in the first place.

Obvious Security Systems

Security systems are great as they have a full alarm system that protects your home and sets off an alarm if somebody breaks in. If you can’t afford this kind of system, get a fake one. Fake burglar alarms are a handy deterrent as there is no way for a burger to know if it’s real or not. More often than not, opportunists won’t risk it.

Make It Seem Like There Is Activity

If a criminal spots that there has been no activity at your property for a few days, they may well plan a break in. You can avoid this by enlisting family and friends to help. If you have family members and friends just popping by your house, even if it’s just to pick up your post, or even just walk into your house and then walk back out again, that kind of activity is a deterrent for burglars.

Protect Your Most Precious Items

It can be great peace of mind to know that if someone were to break in they won’t be able to steal your most precious items. That may well include both sentimental, and expensive items, which can both be taken or damaged during a break in.

Use short-term cheap self storage in your local area to store any valuables you just couldn’t face being stolen. The cost will be incredibly small for a week, or two weeks, and there is no commitment to keep the storage any longer than that time, so the costs will be minimal.

Use Technology To Make It Seem Like You Are In

There are many apps and pieces of technology that can be used to help you turn your lights, radios and other technology off and on. This can be really handy if you want your home to appear like you are still in it, even though you’re off having an amazing holiday somewhere else.

Park A Car On The Drive

If you’re driving your car on holiday your car will be missing from your drive which can signal to burglars that you are not there and there is an opportunity for a break in. If you can perhaps ask a nearby friend or family member if they wouldn’t mind parking on your drive even just a couple of nights over the time that you’re away, this can help to make your home look busy and lived in.

Address Weaknesses

There are some standard weaknesses that all burglars will look for when it comes to a property to break into including:

• Single glazed windows
• No gate or a gate without a lock
• Windows with valuables in view inside
• Nobody being home
• Easy break locks

Try to strengthen these weaknesses with some investment into your property security, whether that’s with advanced lock technology, technology like the apps we mentioned above, and by investing in double glazing.

Whilst the fact remains that if a burglar wants to break into your property they will find a way, the fact is that most of them are opportunists and will only do so if they spot an opportunity is present.

The more you do to secure your home and make sure your home looks secure and lived in, the less likely you are to suffer any break-ins or loss when you return back from your holidays.