With summer vacation approaching, here’s a checklist of chores you need to complete to best protect your home from burglars while you’re away.
It also means keeping your home looking lived-in without anyone home, such as a pile of mail, packages, and bottles of milk at the front door.
There’s also the issue of social media and making sure you don’t advertise that your house is empty by posting beach photos while you’re away.
The top ten tips to protect your home while on summer vacation are revealed
It’s about making sure a thief can’t exercise while you’re at home or on vacation.
Darren Black, from Nationwide Building Society, said: ‘The vast majority of burglaries are opportunistic and target normal people living in everyday homes.
‘To reduce the chance that your house will be targeted, you have to make the job a little less attractive for the burglar by making it more difficult to break in or increasing the chance of getting caught.
“The good news for homeowners is that many measures can be taken at minimal cost.”
Tips include using anti-climb paint, as many burglars gain access to your home through plumbing pipes, low fences, or walls that are easy to climb
ADT’s Michele Bennett agreed, saying: ‘Unfortunately, thieves are smart and opportunistic, so while it may seem like there are endless things to do to prepare for a holiday, it’s essential to make sure that you spend enough time securing your property.
‘Locking your doors and windows may seem like an obvious step, but the stress of preparing for a vacation can make you forget about the simplest of tasks.
“Make sure you remove all keys from doors, that all windows are fully closed and unlatched, and do a final check before you leave your house.”
Ms Bennett added: ‘Getaways are exciting and it can be tempting to tell everyone all about your holiday.
However, burglars use Facebook and Twitter to target potential properties. Sharing updates on social media while you’re away may seem harmless, but it ends up putting your property at risk, so wait until you’re back home to post about your absence.
“Making your home look lived-in is essential when you’re away.
“There is no greater proof that no one is home than the accumulation of mail, parcels or bottles of milk at the front door and that is exactly what opportunistic burglars look for.
Interrupting these services is an easy way to deter thieves from identifying your property as a target.
‘Moreover, you have to be smart with your lights, don’t just program them to come on at the same time every day.
“Have them turn on at random times during the day to really deter burglars – if a thief can’t figure out if you’re home, they’re unlikely to risk breaking in.”
ADT has unveiled a list of the ten best ways to protect your home while on vacation.
Thieves look for escape routes and hiding places when deciding which homes to break into, meaning gardens with tall, overgrown hedges are more likely to be targeted
Ten tips to protect your home…
1. Don’t leave empty milk bottles with a note
If you regularly receive milk, pause your order before going on vacation.
The best way to do this is to contact your milk delivery service directly, rather than leaving empty milk bottles with a note attached.
This is a common mistake that would-be thieves can pick up on.
2. Postpone your mail service
The accumulation of mail in your mailbox is clear evidence of inactivity in your home.
To avoid this, you can contact your local post office or apply online to request a postponement of your mail service for the time you will be away.
Once you return from your trip, your mail will be delivered to you so you don’t miss any important mail.
3. Pause or move any deliveries
Expect packages while you’re away? Delivery drivers can leave your packages in what they consider a ‘safe place’, assuming you’ll be home shortly to pick it up.
However, a pile of packages is a clear signal to burglars that you are on vacation. To avoid being attacked, ask your neighbors to pick up packages for you or reschedule deliveries.
4. Secure your windows and doors
Be sure to lock all windows and doors, remove all keys from locks or where intruders can see them, and bring your spare key from the hiding place.
Before you leave, take a few minutes to walk through your home to make sure everything is secure – well worth it for the safety of your property and for your peace of mind.
5. Make smooth slopes
Many burglars enter through plumbing pipes, low fences or easy-to-climb walls.
Investing in anti-climbing paint will leave a sleek, smoother surface that makes it difficult for thieves to scale.
6. Tidy up your yard
Thieves look for escape routes and hiding places when deciding which homes to break into, meaning gardens with tall, overgrown hedges are more likely to be targeted.
Before you leave, give your yard a thorough clean-up to make sure your property is less likely to be targeted while you’re away.
7. Make your home look inhabited
You may be tempted to leave your lights on the entire time you’re out, but thieves will notice.
Using automatic timers to turn on a few well-appointed lights and a radio or TV will keep your home from feeling empty.
Make sure the lights come on at different times during your absence to really deter thieves.
Smart plugs allow you to remotely turn on and off devices connected to them, and you can also have them turn on lights when motion is detected by cameras outside your property.
And some outdoor cameras also have two-way audio, so you can alert anyone on your property and sound a high-pitched siren to deter further intrusion.
8. Keep your vacation away from social media
Social media is used by burglars to find vacant homes, with thieves checking Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts to determine when residents are gone.
Don’t post about your vacation on social media platforms while you’re away and instead wait until you get home to update your friends and family on your trip.
9. Find a trusted companion to help you
Asking a family member, friend, or neighbor to come over every day creates the illusion that someone lives in your home.
Ask them to move a post, open and close blinds and curtains, and park a car in your driveway to deter potential burglars who might be watching your home.
10. Take control of your home security
From automating your home to making it look like you’re home when you’re not there, there’s a wide variety of home security products available that are designed to protect your home while you’re away.
Products range from a visible security alarm on the outside of your property to deter burglars to smart plugs that allow you to remotely turn appliances such as TVs and a radio on and off.