Tips for keeping your home safe while you’re on holiday

Heading off on holiday should be a relaxed affair, but sometimes you are plagued with those niggling doubts about what could be awaiting you when you return. Did you leave the stove on? Lock all the windows?? Ease your mind with these safe tips to keep your home secure while you’re on holiday. The only niggles you should be experiencing are which fabulous restaurant to try tonight, and which beach you should venture to tomorrow.

1. Try to make it look like you’re still at home

The world of electric timers has come a long way since the old, ‘same light for two hours every day at 7pm’ models. You can now get advanced timers like this one, that switch on random lights and appliances in different rooms throughout the house. So if anyone did happen to be watching your house, they’d notice activity in different rooms on different days and be less likely to see it as a potential target.

2. Make friends with your neighbours

Neighbours are a secret weapon when it comes to security measures. Befriend or bribe one with a bottle of duty-free and ask them to pop in every couple of days and pick up the mail from the doorstep.  If you’re away for a more than a week, you could even ask them to cut the grass, or park one of their cars in your drive.

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3. Cancel all your deliveries

Chances are you probably don’t get your milk delivered anymore, (those were the days), but if you get a regular grocery, newspaper or wine delivery, make sure to delay it while you’re away. The sight of ‘we tried to deliver’ labels on your door, or boxes left on the step for several days is a red flag for potential thieves.

4. Lock everything

Obvious, yes, but worth mentioning. Lock everything that can be locked. This includes windows, and hiding the keys out of sight, putting tools in the garage or shed and locking, and if you have a ladder that lives outside, try to hide it out of sight and secure it to the wall with a chain and lock. If you’re like many other homeowners who store valuable items in your garage aside from your car, it’s worth repairing a malfunctioning garage door immediately. Professional garage door repair services will ensure that the components and mechanism are checked and fixed.

5. Don’t shout about it

Much as we all like to publish everything we are doing at any given moment on social media, it’s worth bearing in mind the potential audience of your posts. Tagging companies and locations can mean that your posts show up on feeds that don’t belong to your friends or family. So, you can still gloat, but maybe save it until you’re back if you’re not sure of your audience.

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Aside from the given tips above, you may also consider hiring a security guard from a company like Community Action Security to help you with the security of your property. So hopefully, that’s offered some prime tips on keeping your house safe and secure while you’re on holiday, and helped you go away feeling as relaxed as possible.

If you’re dreaming of your next trip but haven’t quite figured out where you’re staying yet, give our friendly concierge team a call. Their extensive knowledge of villas and destinations is sure to point you in the right direction. For more tips on making travel a breeze, check out our favourite travel apps and hacks and some top tips on family travel from the UK’s best family bloggers.