How best to protect your home whilst travelling is an age old question.
The Office of national statistics reported that 648,000 homes were effected by burglaries in England and Wales alone in 2013. This highlights the importance of adequately protecting your homes against this misfortune.
Take these simple steps to protect your home and valuables whilst on the road.
Doors and Windows
Before leaving your home, whether for just 5 minutes or for a week, ensure that all of your windows and doors are closed and locked.
These can provide multiple entry points to your home and pose vulnerability. Consider installing double glazed windows as these will offer extra protection through multiple security mechanisms and secure locking systems.
If this is not a possibility hiding valuables from sight through windows will reduce temptation and the likelihood of a break-in. Putting locks on surrounding doors will also make it harder for an intruder to gain access to your home.
Garage and Shed
Make sure that your garage and shed doors are locked and fully secured when leaving for longer trips.
These outbuildings are often low security and frequently targeted by burglars. If you have bikes or other valuable items in your shed, it is worth securing them further. Use padlocks and ground anchors to secure your bikes and lock tools away in boxes or metal lockers. This will give you extra peace of mind and reduce the possibility of a burglar using your tools to physically force entry.
Consider installing a shed alarm which reacts to movement with an extremely loud siren. Battery operated shed alarms can be bought cheaply form your local DIY store.
Don’t advertise your purchases
Burglary is often spontaneous and caused by nothing more than window-shopping.
Remove all of the valuables away from a windows and any other visible areas. It’s good practice to keep valuables away from first floor windows or keep them safely locked away.
Don’t advertise your purchases with bins full of packaging. Boxes from your new flat screen TV or games console will advertise to criminals the valuables for grabs in your home. Try to fold or safely destroy tell-tale packaging before disposal or take it away to the recycling point before leaving for longer trips.
Cancel your mail
Leaving for a longer holiday? Put your mail on hold. There are few more obvious indications that your house is unoccupied than a disorganised pile of mail. Likewise, pause your milk and any other subscription orders.
Mail companies, such as Royal Mail, can easily put your post on hold for up to 60 days and deliver items upon your return.
Get a Burglar Alarm
Do not forgo security systems in your home and install an adequate burglar alarm. Relying on neighbours and friends to watch over your home may not be sufficient and you may be grateful for your alarm triggering an alert. Burglar alarms signal to thieves that you have protected your goods, cause them to flee and alert neighbours and police of their intrusion.
Installing quality fire and security systems, like those offered by GPS Installations, will keep your home safe and protected whilst you are away. Choosing a quality alarm supplier will also guarantee regular maintenance ensuring the long term safety of your home.
Sophia
