How to protect your home from a break-in while you are away on holiday

Posted on Friday, August 3rd, 2018

 

Be careful what you say on social media

Though many of us might like to advertise our holiday plans on social media, it is a very public platform that could inadvertently inform burglars about when they ought to target your property.

Another potential dilemma is that, if you do publicise your holiday whereabouts on the likes of Twitter and Instagram, your home insurer might not pay out following a burglary. However, it depends on your policy’s terms and conditions, so do not forget to check those.

Ask someone to look after your garden

Should a budding burglar approach your house only to see that its lawn looks freshly mowed, they may think again about whether the building is truly vacant. That is according to former burglars cited by the Daily Mail. Having greenery maintained like this can also prevent potential places for hiding.

According to these ex-criminals, who made these revelations under a cloak of anonymity, burglars will monitor houses over several days – so temporarily hiring services of a gardener is a good idea.

Fit a CCTV system – it doesn’t strictly need to be real 

The mere visibility of a discernible CCTV camera, whether or not it is actually working, could be enough to deter thieves from even attempting a break-in.

However, whichever type of CCTV camera for which you opt, position it at a distance from the front door. As this door is the sole barrier between a burglar and their forced entry into your home, placing that camera overly close to the door could prove scarcely useful.

Do not make it easy for a burglar to find your key

To this end, you should avoid concealing a key beneath a rock or in your porch. Many people still do either, but you would be asking for trouble if you followed their dubious example.

Neither should you leave a key somewhere indoors but visible through your window, as this could be too tempting to unscrupulous people. Instead, you should hand that key to a trustworthy neighbour.