Are you going away on a nice little summer holiday soon? Ensuring your valuables are safe and protected whilst you’re not there is crucial. No one wants to come back from a lovely relaxing holiday to find that thieves have targeted their home because it looked unoccupied and had valuable items left lying around. Making sure your home won’t become a target for burglars can actually be done quite easily whilst you’re away. In this article we will provide you with some tips on how to keep your home and belongings safe, even whilst you’re away.
Ask a family member, trusted friend or neighbour to house-sit –
Getting someone you trust to check up on the house whilst you’re away will deter burglars. Whomever it is looking after your home will be able to do simple tasks such as bring in your post, water your plants, take care of pets and open/close curtains. This will make it seem like the house is still occupied and therefore prevent anyone from thinking the home is an easy target.
Let someone park on your driveway –
Allowing someone to park on your driveway, also creates the illusion that there is someone in the house. This will help you out and could also help out a neighbour with limited parking space.
Get someone to look after pets –
If you have a dog that will need walking regularly or any other pet that needs regular feeding, employing someone to come around and take care of them will prevent the home from falling victim to a burglary.
Install light timers –
If you don’t have someone that can come around every day or stay in your house whilst you’re not there, timed lights can work wonders. These will come on at random or set times to, again, create the illusion that someone is in the house.
Neaten up your garden before you go –
Burglars tend to think that an unkempt garden suggests a vacant home or provides them with easy-to-hide places. If you keep it trimmed, then the house is more visible to others on your street and gives the impression that the home is not uninhabited.
Cancel milk and paper deliveries –
If you don’t have someone available to come around all the time it is very wise to cancel deliveries whilst you’re away. No one wants to come home to rotten milk on their doorstep and they certainly don’t want this to be a sign for burglars that no one is home. If no one can collect your post, use Royal Mail’s service to hold any postal deliveries for up to 66 days and deliver them upon your return. It costs just £12.80 for 17 days!
Use a house-sitting service –
Nowadays many people are concerned about leaving their homes vacant whilst they are away, this is why services have come about which will do this for you. Online directories such as www.mindmyhouse.com, which is free to use for homeowners, provide you with peace of mind that your home will appear occupied and certain chores such as bringing the post in, walking/feeding pets and watering plants are all taken care of! There are several other sites such as these like www.trustedhousesitters.com in which the fee is only payable if you are able to find a suitable sitter, and there are also agencies you can choose to go through to ensure you have full peace of mind that there is a trusted sitter in your home.
Rent a safe deposit box –
All of the above suggestions should prevent your home from being burgled, however, leaving valuable items inside the home is always a nerve-wracking experience and can sometimes cause you to be anxious when you’re supposed to be relaxing. By renting a safe deposit box, you can ensure that any valued or expensive items are protected whilst you’re away. The Safe Deposit Centre, Manchester, uses top-quality, high-security systems to ensure no one can steal your belongings whilst you’re not there. We are the only safe deposit centre in the North-West to house a Grade 10 vault, providing our customers with the highest security possible. Our boxes start from as little as £50 on a 3-month contract. Find out more about the products and services we offer, or for more information, contact us or call 0161 273 7487.