Keep your home secure when you're away on holidays
Stay safe this holiday season with our home security checklist.
Lock and double check
Lock all the doors and windows. It sounds basic but you'd be surprised how many residents leave a window open out of habit. Sometimes it helps to work top to bottom and clockwise around the house to ensure it's all secure. Once it's all locked up, double-check. It may seem like overkill but when you're miles away it's good to know the home is locked up tight.
Have a look from the outside of the house to make sure you've closed all the windows and no one has reopened them. (It happens.)
Install deadlocks on all windows and doors. Make sure you don't leave a key in the deadlock providing an easy exit with your valuables if thieves manage to get into your home.
Lock the shed, garage, and gates where possible.
Lights and action
Fitting sensor lights around the outside of your home works as a deterrent calling attention to your home if someone takes a look around. Taking security measures like this makes your home appear a little less inviting to thieves.
Set a timer for a couple of lamps and a radio or TV while you're away to make the house appear lived in. Turn the phone ringtone down and don't leave a message on your answering machine (yes, some people still have them) telling callers that you're away for the holidays.
Don't post on social media with holiday snaps and updates letting friends, friends of friends, old school buddies, and total strangers know that you're not at home. You never really know who sees your updates.
Hang old clothes on the line to make it appear like someone is home.
Get help
Divert or get the post office to hold your mail or ask a friend to regularly clear your mailbox. Even if you do redirect the mail you may want to ask a neighbour or friend to clear the junk mail and community papers away every few days.
Ask someone to drop in and check on the property, put your bin in or out and maintain the garden if you'll be away for an extended period. You could also encourage neighbours to park in your driveway periodically.
Hide valuables but clear entry points
Ensure valuables are not visible from the outside - laptops, jewellery, etc. Don't leave car keys on the hook by the door where they are visible and easily accessible.
Avoid leaving items around the outside of the house which could be used to break in with. Garden tools can be used to break windows, and ladders or wheelie bins can be utilised to access second-story windows or doors which may not be as secure as those on the ground floor.
Keep doorways and windows clear of coverage such as large bushes or tree foliage to keep the home visible from the neighbours and the street.
Keys and alarms
Don't leave a spare key on the property. You may think you've got the best hiding place but resourceful thieves may have thought of it too. Leave the key with a trusted friend or neighbour and let them know the pin for your home alarm system.
Check that your security alarm monitoring service has an up-to-date emergency contact list in the event that the alarm is activated while you're away. Also, check that your alarm activation response procedures are relevant.
Get your home alarm system serviced before you go away, a faulty system is almost useless.
Pictures and records
Take pictures of the valuables in your home for easy reporting to your insurance company and the police if a break-in occurs. Electronics can be marked with an ID number to help with identification.
Ensure your home and contents insurance is paid up and covers everything in your home (don't forget to include the presents you got this year).
If you need more help with the security around your home speak to the professionals at Alltronic Security Brisbane.