Keeping your home safe and secure when on holidays. We all deserve a holiday, but who doesn’t feel a little anxious about leaving their home unoccupied. The last thing you want is to return from a family holiday to soon discover your home has been burgled.
Here are some ways to keep your home safe and secure
Organise a house sitter
Having a house sitter occupy your home while you are away is a great way to keep your home active and in routine. With the new multi-generational living, you may have a young adult family member who is capable of looking after themselves, while keeping responsible within your home.
Get your mail collected
You can ask a friend, family member or neighbour to regularly check your mailbox. Keeping the mail box empty will provide a false perception that someone is still occupying your home. If your mailbox starts to overfill, this may grab the attention of an unwanted visitor.
Have someone place your bins out each week
If everyone on your street keeps putting bins out and yours stays inside, this may also grab some uninvited attention. As a friend, family member or neighbour if they can put them out for you. The bins may be empty, but it demonstrates routine and provides that perception that someone must be home.
Double check you’ve locked everything up
Make sure you’ve double locked doors, window (if possible) and ensure gates and fences are secured. The longer and harder it is to break into your home, the higher your chances a burglar will walk away before they are caught. If you have a garage, also make sure its securely locked. You may have a spare car or other belongings in their too.
Set your lights to a timer
Many modern homes have light settings where they can dim lights and have them automatically turned on and off. If you have the ability to have them switched on and off for a few hours each night, it will make the neighbourhood think you are home as usual.
Lend your driveway
If you have a neighbour who has a few people living in their property, perhaps ask them to park their car in your driveway for a few weeks. This is a great way to make people think you are home. Certain inner city suburban streets, such as Richmond and Carlton, would be very happy to park their car in your driveway rather than out on a narrow one way street.
Check your building and contents insurance
This won’t detract burglars from your home, but it will make sure you are sufficiently insured. This will also ensure you are insured for damages from storm, floods etc. We often forget to review our insurance, so this may be a good time to look over it before heading out on your holiday.
Don’t tag yourself on social media
You may want to share your fun experience with your family and friends through social media, but this is not necessarily a wise decision. If you are tagging yourself in Hawaii, your ex-partner may want to pay your house a visit knowing you aren’t home. Other strangers may notice you are miles away from home and also scout your home out. It may be a better decision to share some photos, videos etc on social media after you are back home.
Purchase a home security system
An alarm or CCTV camera can be a great deterrent from burglaries. You can see your property on your phone anywhere in the world. If a burglar sees the cameras surrounding your home, they may choose to avoid your home. The alarm will also grab the neighbourhoods attention and scare the burglar off. These can be a great way to ensure your home remains safe and secure.
For more tips on property, please visiting our Market Insights section. You can also learn more safety tips from the Australian Government.
December 2021
