It’s best not to forget the risks of leaving your home unprotected while you’re away enjoying your holidays. A little bit of vigilance will go a long way to keep you from worrying about security and your belongings once you’ve left your home. Rather be safe than sorry by taking the necessary precautions. Listed in this blog post are 6 tips that you can follow next time you’re headed on a holiday, so that you can rest easy knowing that your home is safe for your return.
- Consider A House Or Pet Sitter
- Notify Your Alarm Company
- Create The Illusion Of Activity
- Pause The Mail
- Check Your Security
- Disconnect Chargers And Electronics
1. Consider A House Or Pet Sitter
This is one of the best ways to make sure that your house is safe while you’re not there. By asking someone you trust to stay in your home, you can be sure that your plants will be watered, the pets will be fed, and perhaps even some light cleaning will be done.
If you don’t have a family member who can take care of your home while you’re away, there are reliable pet and house-sitting services you can use. These options will be the best solutions for keeping an eye on things at home, but just make sure they’re in your budget range before booking.
If you live in Pretoria, you can get both house and pet sitting services from Pet And House Sitting for you. Johannesburg’s most trusted sitting agency is Major Mom Services. If you live in the Western Cape and are looking for pet and house sitters while you’re away, reach out to House Sitters Cape Town. They have a team of trustworthy house and pet sitters to manage the care of your home while you’re not there.
2. Notify Your Alarm Company
Check to be sure that your alarm is in working condition by letting a technician from your alarm company test it at least a week before you travel. You can alert your security company if you’re going away for longer than 1 or 2 days. If there will be a domestic worker or house-sitter staying in your home while you’re away, notify them about that too.
3. Create The Illusion Of Activity
It’s a good idea to install a sensor light at exit areas that will switch on as soon as movement is picked up. Installing timers on some outdoor and exit lights will allow them to switch on at desired times, even when you’re not there. This will give off the illusion of activity on the property.
If you’re unable to use such lights, you could ask a friend or family member to go into your home and switch a couple of main lights on, as well as the TV or radio, to create a bit of regular noise and activity that a family would usually have on at a specific time. Your relative could also open and close the curtains at
agreed times, as you’d want your home from the outside to look as normal as
possible, and not accidentally have the curtains closed during the daytime.
4. Pause The Mail
A heap of mail at your front door is an obvious indication that there is no one home. If you know you’ll be gone for more than a few days, it’s best to alert your post office and ask them to place your mail on hold, as well as your daily newspaper or subscriptions.
Alternatively, you can ask a trusted friend, relative or neighbour to remove your post every couple of days, including other mail items, such as newsletters or pamphlets that tend to build up when you’re on holiday.
5. Check Your Security
Before you go away, it’s best you check that all burglar bars are locked, and windows too. Check for various ways one could enter your home too. For instance, the dustbin can reach a second-story window that may be left open. Be sure that there are no items that could be used to break into your home, such as garden tools.
You’ll want to keep items like these locked away safely in the garage or shed. Common entry points include unlocked doors or windows. Sometimes doors can be opened by force, which is why it’s important to always lock your doors and windows, and have burglar bars installed if you don’t already have them.
6. Disconnect Chargers And Electronics
Disconnecting the power to most of your electronics, like your PC, Nespresso machine and TV, may help to save on your bill while you’re gone. You also won’t have the sudden worry that your appliances have been left on accidentally. Switching off your garage door automation can also be a useful way to keep criminals from opening your garage with a universal remote. Also, if you use a high-quality portable GPS, don’t leave it in your parked car at the airport. If your car is broken into by any chance, the thieves will be able to see that you’re not home and the GPS may just provide them with a convenient map to your house.
Conclusion
Follow these safety tips for your home any time you are planning to go away on holiday. Also, you should keep track of all of the keys to your home and make sure that you take them with you in a safe compartment, or be sure that they are left in safe hands. Don’t make the mistake of leaving keys in ‘protected spots’, as chances are burglars will know exactly where to find them.
If you are going on holiday soon, you’re probably busy with the last of your planning and packing. You may want to book a professional cleaning service with SweepSouth so that your home cleanliness is the least of your worries before your holiday, and you can look forward to a clean home when you get back.
