If you are thinking about taking a holiday, the last thing you want to be doing is worrying about your home and your belongings whilst you’re away.
Thieves, intruders, vandals, and stray animals are some of the unwelcomed guests that could visit your home whilst you’re away.
As a homeowner, you may have a home and contents insurance policy that will cover you if your home is broken into while you’re away; however, preventing this situation all together is a much better way to invest your time and energy.
Five Practical Things you can do to Secure your Home and Your Belongings While you’re Away on Holidays.
Option #1- Security Cameras Around your Property
One of the best ways to deter potential intruders is to install good quality security cameras around the perimeter of your property. The mere presence of security cameras will be enough to deter most potential thieves.
Security cameras don’t have to be expensive to buy or install. In fact there are actually some really effective solar powered security cameras which can be installed DIY which negates the need to pay an electrician to wire them up to mains power.
If by chance your home does get broken into whilst you’re away on a holiday, at least you’ll have some video footage to pass onto the local law enforcement officers upon your return.
Option #2- Installing a Fence around Your House
Installing a fence around the property is a great way to keep your home safe while you’re away on holidays. A good fence will not only help to keep unwanted guests out, but it also doubles up to keep kids and pets from wandering off your property and onto the road. Additionally, a fence can also act as a privacy screen which helps to prevent on lookers from seeing that your property is vacant.
Option #3- Security Lights to Light up Dark Areas
Since most break and enters occur at night, having security lights is a fantastic way to deter burglars. You can opt to illuminate your property through using solar powered garden lights or use motion sensor lights to provide a sudden burst of light when an intruder walks onto your property. The best outdoor security lights can be synced up with security cameras and security alarms to provide more complete protection for your home.
Option #4- Get a House Sitter When you are Away
For further peace of mind, you can get a house sitter to look after your home while you are away on holidays. This house sitter may be a family member, friend, colleague, or neighbor. If you can’t find a house sitter in your immediate network, then you can try finding one online. There are several online platforms that link house sitters with people seeking them out.
Many of these arrangements are free for both parties as the arrangement can be mutually beneficial. Many house sitters are traveling themselves and choose to take house sitting holidays rather than stay in a hotel because they enjoy the freedom that comes with being self-contained.
The good online house-sitting platforms have multiple identity and security checks coupled with a review system to provide peace of mind that you’re getting good people to look after your home.
Option #5- Keep Valuables out of Sight
The most obvious, but often overlooked thing to do is to keep valuable items out of sight. Keep your lawn free of things which may tempt potential thieves. Things like bicycles, tools, and vehicles should be kept safe inside the garage or storage shed. Inside the home, keep laptops, tablets, and other small portable valuables away from windows and doors, where intruders can see them.
A safe is a good place to store jewellery, cash, and other valuables while you are away. There are a variety of different safe options that you can choose from so it’s up to you to determine what would be best for your home or property.
Conclusion:
When you are traveling on a holiday you might feel stressed out and even anxious about the security of your home. However, by taking the above five proactive measures to secure your home and contents whilst you’re out of town, can help to reduce this stress and ultimately help you to relax and be present on your getaway.
By following some or all of these tips you can rest assured that your home is as safe and secure as possible; leaving you to completely relax and enjoy your holiday.