Its worth being security minded whilst on holiday

Sadly, with home security ever more needed nowadays with rising crime (especially due to the recession and increase in drug related crimes), it is always worth while being on your guard, whether you are popping to the shops for an hour, or jetting off somewhere for a week or more.

You might want to consider if some or all of the personal and home security suggestions below would help make you and/or your property/family more secure. For example, don’t put your home address on any of your luggage labels, so that this rather obvious “we are out of town” message does not get to anyone.

If you have any particularly valuble items, make a list of them, and ensure they are listed on your home contents insurance, plus obviously when going out/away put them in a safe place. Plus it is always prudent to ensure that both your buildings insurance and contents insurance are up to date.

Make sure your house, vehicles, garage and/or shed are securely locked (to make sure your ladder and tools are safely tucked away out of sight, and not an aid to any would be thieves). Consider cutting your lawn just before you go away, so your home looks lived in, as well as cancel any daily deliveries like the milk and newspapers, so that no tell tale signs of you being away are left out for all to see. Obviously it is a risk in effect telling any “supplier” that you will be away by cancelling deliveries, so you need to weigh up which risk is greater (also the financial savings on goods you will not use!). Ideally, get a trusted neighbour or friend to put any mail out of sight each day.

You can make sure your property looks lived in by setting up automatic timer-switches at different times in different rooms, so that lights/TV come on and go off when they should. Don’t close all your curtains, as leaving your curtains closed in the daytime is a signal that the property is unoccupied.

Don’t put your name and address on your spare keys if you lend them to a neighbour or friend (in case they accidently lose them or they get stolen). Avoid leaving valuables in plain sight, such as Laptops, DVD’s, Ipods, Mobiles and TV’s etc. Tell the absolute minimum of people you can that a) you are going away, and b) the actual dates when you will be away.

If you are leaving a vehicle at your premises (which is a good thing to do as it looks from a fleeting glance you are in) make sure you hide your car keys if you leave them behind. Finally, just before you set off on holiday check all your external doors and windows are all locked and that if you have one, the burglar alarm is activated, and a neighbour has access to turn it off in case it is accidently set off.