One of the biggest stresses when leaving for a holiday is worrying whether your home will be safe when you’re gone. These home security tips, courtesy of the Australian Security Industry Association Limited (ASIAL), should help to ease your worries.
Don’t share your movements on social media
While it’s one thing to be excited and tell your friends that you’re about to go on a month-long holiday, you should be careful about who can see these posts if you mention them on social media. Sharing with a tight group of Facebook friends is fine, but sharing with the whole world is a no-no. If you do share this type of info, keep images of your home, address and when you leave and return offline. Also, turn off location services (the feature on Facebook that lets everyone know where you are when you post).
Call on the neighbours
Ask your neighbours to keep an eye on your house, collect any mail. If they can’t collect your mail, have it held at your local post office.
Give your neighbours the details of your home monitoring service if you have one. Also pass on your neighbours’ details to the service or ask them to report any suspicious behaviour to the police.
Make it look like you’re home
Ask your neighbour to park their car in your driveway. An empty driveway will be a beacon to thieves. Pick up a timer switch and set it so that lamps come on at night from dusk until your usual bedtime.
Don’t give thieves opportunities
Remove all ladders from sight, ensure your windows are closed and locked, move bins to the front yard (and ask your neighbour to put them out on bin day), shift all valuables from sight, maybe cover your TV with a blanket and install motion sensor lights at your front and back door.
Check your alarm system
If you have an alarm system, then your worries should be halved. If you don’t have one, you could install ‘fake’ security or invest in a budget monitoring system. And you could always ask for a professional security installer to assess your security as part of a free quote for their services.
Don’t leave spare keys outside
Those fake rock key holders and secret hiding places under the mat or above the door are common knowledge to experienced burglars, so don’t give them an ‘in’ – leave keys with someone you trust.
Do you have any home security tips for other members? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?
Also read: Hotel room key security risks
