Are you planning to head off on a holiday soon? If so, you may be overwhelmed by planning your itinerary, your accommodation, packing your clothes and stressing over what the weather is going to be like. However, there is one more thing which would be important to consider before taking off to your dream destination and that is making sure that your house is left safe and secure while you are away.
An unoccupied house is always a very tempting target for burglars which is exactly why you should spend some time thinking of ways how to make it seem vacant. Here at We Buy Any House, we have done the hard part for you and come up with tips on how to protect your house, your valuables and belongings while you are away on holiday.
1. Leave some lights on
Making your house seem occupied is at utmost importance which is why leaving some lights on is highly recommended. If you try to get in the head of a burglar, it is pretty obvious to assume that they would see unlit houses more appealing than those that look like someone is currently in them. The consumer market has got you covered here as there are numerous timers and lamps that you can purchase nowadays which would give you the option to remotely turn on and off your lights. If you have Amazon’s Alexa for example, you can get light bulbs that can be connected to it and therefore control them all the way from your holiday destination with a simple phone click (Buy Them Here, £19.99).
2. Leave your car in the driveway and your curtains open
Another way to make your house seem liveable is to have a car parked in your driveway. That is suggesting that there is someone there, no matter if it is you or house watchers. Consider taking the train, an Uber or someone giving you a lift to the airport to leave your car behind. However, make sure that there is nothing tempting to steal inside it because there are many car thieves as well out there.
Leaving your curtains wide open has also been highly suggested. Normally people tend to close their curtains and do not allow any access for people to lurk inside their homes, but it has the opposite effect sometimes. Our brains have been designed in a way that whenever something is inaccessible for us it makes us want it more. Therefore, looking at it through a scientific eye, the better option may be to leave your curtains open and hope for the best.
3. Lock Up!
It may sound silly, but you would be surprised how many people forget to lock up their doors when going travelling. There are some doors that people just don’t lock up like their garden, garage or shed doors. It is worth reminding you to check all your possible entries including your windows.
Also, make sure you check your house insurance policy because in most cases, if you forget to lock up, that could get in your way of being covered by your insurance as they normally only cover when there have been signs of forced entry.
4. Cancel Deliveries
A certain sign of unoccupied house must be having a pile of letters and deliveries stacked in front of your house or mailbox. You can either cancel some of your regular deliveries (if you have any) or ask someone to collect them for you.
5. Get a Security System
In this century it can even be considered irresponsible to not have a security system in place. There are plenty of options on the market that could suit your needs and your budget as well. Similar to Alexa’s light bulbs, you can remotely operate your alarm system through your smartphone. Having CCTV and lights on around your house can deter burglars as no thief wants to have their face fully exposed. If you cannot afford a security system, you can at least consider sticking some fake alarm system stickers to scare off the bad guys. People use the ‘beware of the dog’ signs as well because you never know, burglars have fears too.
6. Don’t Overshare
Being excited about your upcoming holiday can often lead to oversharing and especially doing so with the wrong people and in the wrong places where someone may overhear you. Remember that it is not necessary to share every little detail with your whole community. Be careful who you trust with all your holiday deets as people may take advantage. If you decide to ask some of your neighbours to look out for your house while you are gone, make sure that you can trust them fully.
Your local shop and coffee house are not the only places where potential thieves can get information about your travel plans. Nowadays, you can know where everyone is all the time and therefore social media has become a very dangerous place in some ways. Consider not posting your pictures and videos at real time and delaying it until after you have come back.
Knowing that you have done everything you can to prevent burglars from breaking in and taking all the necessary precautions to keep your house safe and protected while you are away, can make your holiday much more relaxing, enjoyable and completely stress-free as all vacations should be.
This article was written by a quick house sale company We Buy Any House. If you are wondering “how can I sell my home quickly?”, head to the We Buy Any House website for more information relating to all property related enquiries.