With Easter long weekend fast approaching and traditionally in Australia this holiday is one filled with camping adventures for the whole family. While you are making camp fires and relaxing at the beach before the weather turns cold, burglars are making plans for a great haul. What can you do to ensure your relaxing holiday, does not turn into pay day for your local thief?
The Top 10 tips for making your home safe while you holiday
1. Consider hiring a house sitter. A house sitter ensures that your property is not left
unattended while you are away. There is an added bonus of making sure the plants get watered, the dog gets fed and often the sitter costs you nothing There are plenty of sites available with 'safe' sitters... you can check their references and house sitting history
2. Put a hold on your mail. If you are leaving for more than a few days you can contact your
local post office to put a stop on mail until you get back. There is a small fee payable, but mail can be held from 1 week up to 12 months. Could well be worth the fee as a build up of mail is a dead give away that you are not home. Also cancel/ hold all your subscriptions that get delivered.
3. Keeping up appearances. You want your house to look as lived in as possible. So ask a
neighbour to put out your bins, make sure the gardener still comes to mow the lawns and trim the hedges, ask the neighbour or local friends to park their car in your drive. Give the outside appearance of someone living there.
4. Invest in a timer or smart lights for internal lighting. This will give the appearance of someone living in the house while you are away. A well placed external spot light can also discourage thieves from entering your property
5. Turn off your garage door. Seems like a simple thing, but it is an effective way to prevent
thieves from opening it with a universal remote and gaining access to the internal house unseen.
6. It should go without saying, but secure your windows and doors.
Do not leave a window open for the cat to come and go. If you don't normally use the deadlocks, do so while you are away.
7. Remove your hide-a-way key. A little mindfulness can go a long way in keeping your home
safe, especially from opportunistic thieves. Whilst a extra key hidden in the garden is great if you accidently lock yourself out, it is an invitation to a would be thief while you are away. Leave keys with a neighbour instead.
8. Keep your valuables hidden. As the age old saying goes - out of sight, out of mind. Locking
your treasures away in a safe is a great deterrent for thieves. The more difficult the task of stealing, the less likely they are to target your possessions.
9. Buy a home security system. Advertise that you HAVE a home security system. That is
another great deterrent for would be thieves. Some security systems can be monitored by independent security companies. In case of a break in the alarm notifies them they need to attend the property and make sure it is secure.
10. Be mindful of your social media. Its a modern world and social media is a great way to let
friends know what you are up to. Also be aware that it is a great research tool for would be thieves. Keep your posting on the down - lo until you get home.
Extra Precaution. Be sure your insurance is current!! If all else fails and you have determined thieves who manage to look past all the safety measures you put into action and still steal your valuables, at least you will have the peace of mind knowing you have the right cover.
NOW RELAX and enjoy your well deserved Holiday
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