Going on holiday? A bit of security advice

One of the best defences against burglaries is our very presence

Blimey Charlie, that was a bit of a week with the snow then wasn’t it? I trust we all survived the wintry weather, our locks are all unfrozen, and that we are now looking forward to a bit of sunshine, come the Spring. And in the spirit of looking forward to the warmer weather, today I’ll look ahead to the holiday season. Yes, summer is still a fair way away, but Easter is just around the corner which means many people will be going away on holiday. And as we know, this causes issues when it comes to our home security.

One of the best defences against burglaries is our very presence. You can have all the locks, gadgets and booby traps you want, but an unoccupied house is always going to be a more tempting prospect for a criminal than one where people are living and able to defend their property or raise the alarm.

As such, when you go away for any period on time, it’s even more important to do all you can to ensure your home is protected in your absence. I’ll list a few steps you can take below so that if you’re away to warmer climes this Easter, you can ensure you’ve left your house as safe as possible.

Keep it quiet!

With some notable exceptions (see the next two tips), don’t tell all and sundry that you’re jetting off for a week or two. I’m talking about social media here – excitement about going away is understandable, especially given the weather we’ve been having here, but posting all over Facebook that you’re about to leave your house unoccupied for a fortnight is really not the most sensible thing to do, especially if you haven’t tightened up your security sessions on there. Careful too about posting holiday pictures whilst you’re away.

Tell a friend or neighbour

And now to contradict that tip, but with a caveat. I’d recommend you do tell at least one person that you’re going away – preferably a trusted friend or neighbour. This way they can have a key for emergencies, they’ll have your contact details if they need to get in touch, and you know that someone will be keeping an eye on the place whilst you’re away.

Sort the post and milk

If you’re one of the dwindling number of people who still have their milk delivered, don’t forget to get that cancelled. Having a dozen milk bottles on your doorstep is soon going to make things turn sour in more ways than one. It advertises you’re away as well as wasting good milk. Post might not be so easy to put a hold on, but ask the person who’s got your key to go in and pick up the mail at regular intervals so that it doesn’t start to build up and become noticeable from the outside.

Double, triple check the locks

I’m assuming already that we all lock our houses when we leave home, but if you’re going away for some period of time, this becomes even more important. The front door is obvious, but take a while going around, making sure that all exterior doors are locked, as well as any entry points to any outbuildings. Don’t forget windows too – if you have window locks, make sure they’re utilised, and the keys hidden away and not just left on display on the windowsills.

A little bit of magic

No, I’m not asking you to channel the spirit of Paul Daniels, or invite David Blaine to stay, but rather am talking about creating the illusion that someone is home, even when this is not the case. Don’t just leave lights on all the time, as, if anything, this makes it even more apparent that no-one is in. Rather, invest in electric timers to turn lights on and off at certain times. Perhaps even put a television or radio on a timer too, just to add to the illusion. Let a neighbour park on your drive so that it doesn’t seem as empty, and if you’re going away for a significant period of time, arrange for your lawn to be mown in your absence. All these little tasks will create uncertainty in the mind of a would-be burglar, meaning they can’t be entirely sure that the house is empty.

Secure your valuables

We’re hoping to avoid any break-in occurring of course, but if the worst happens, make it difficult for the burglar. If you have a safe, make use of it to hold any valuable jewellery and the like. You could even secure items of great financial or sentimental value off site whilst you’re away, leaving them with a friend, relative, or in secure storage. This might seem like overkill, but if the objects are irreplaceable, it’s worth considering.

Contact your local Rotherham locksmith

Well, hope I haven’t put you off going on holiday. I should reassure you that the chances of you being broken into are still relatively low, but it’s never a bad idea to do all you can to make these chances even lower. Taking these tips on board should help to achieve this, and you can wave goodbye to the winter, confident that if you go away, your house should be perfectly safe in your absence.