The last thing you want to be thinking about when you’re sunbathing by the pool is how safe your house is. What can you do to ensure your house is safe while you’re away and put your mind at ease?
Do the necessary repairs before leaving
Before you leave for your vacation, do ensure that all the necessary and pending repair tasks are taken care of. If you have a leaky roof, get it fixed. Otherwise, rain or snow can seep through the ceiling and damage your walls and other areas of the house. If some areas of your house are already impacted by water damage, then get it sorted.
Otherwise, upon your return from your holiday, you may find your house filled with mold. If you are wondering, what to do immediately after water damage signs are noticed, then know that asking the water restoration experts to get it fixed could be the most suitable option. Likewise, if you have broken windows, then get them replaced unless you want robbers to take advantage of the problem. Electrical wirings also need to be checked. This can ensure that your house is not burnt to a crisp due to a short circuit during your absence.
Ensure your house looks lived in
Possibly the most important thing is ensuring your house looks lived in while you’re away. Leaving a light on where it will be visible from the street is the minimum action you should take. Alternatively, you could invest in an automatic timer for your light switches, so the lights only come on at night, saving you energy and looking more realistic.
Better still, you could ask a friend to switch on your lights at night and draw some of your curtains. If you have a close relationship, they might even collect your post, water your plants and mow your lawn to make your property look as occupied as possible. You can repay the favour when they go away! You could also cancel regular deliveries such as milk and newspapers.
Keep quiet
As tempting as it might be, it is never a good idea to tell people outside your immediate friendship group that you are going away. You don’t know who will find out your away if you start telling lots of people. It is also a bad idea to post photos on social media while you’re on holiday as you don’t know who could be reading your posts. Wait until you’re back to post your photos, share your stories and show off your tan!
Don’t leave luggage in the car
It’s important not to leave your car full of luggage overnight, especially if it is visible from the street. Even if you are leaving early, you take the risk that someone could break into your car overnight and it alerts anyone who is walking past that you are going away.
Keep your mail safe
Royal Mail offers a Keepsafe scheme to keep mail safe for up to 66 days and deliver it on your return. Prices range from 14 for 17 days to 45.30 for 66 days. This scheme will give you peace of mind that all your letters and parcels are safe, and can be bought online today.
Hide valuables
Thieves are much more likely to act if they can see a laptop or handbag left on the kitchen table. They are less likely to take the risk if you hide valuables away and if they do break in, they are less likely to find them. Be aware that your sock drawer is the first place they will look! Hide valuables in different places around the house and put away what you can in a safe. Make sure also to keep tools locked away so opportunistic thieves can’t use them to get into your garage.
Final checks
Before you leave, make sure to do one final check. This includes checking the back door, and all windows are securely locked. Make sure your doors and windows are secure in general by buying from a reliable and professional company like Bi-fold Shop who will provide you with maximum security for your house.