Woo hoo, you’re going on holiday, how exciting! It’s especially exciting if you haven’t been on holiday for a year or more because of the COVID-19 pandemic keeping everyone at home.

So, you’ve got your bags packed, your boarding passes and passports are in your bag and all you need to do now is set your alarm and make your way to the airport in the morning (why are so many flights always soooooo early?)

Or maybe you’re not flying off to warmer climes and you’re staying in the UK, perhaps in your very own static caravan, such as these ones from Sunrise Holiday Homes. Fear not! This article is also for you. After all, burglars don’t care whether you’re in the Seychelles or Southend and, if your home isn’t secure while you’re on holiday, you may come home to an unpleasant surprise.

Below you’ll find out how to keep your home secure while you’re on holiday, so the only unpleasant thing you come home to is the thought of going back to work on Monday morning.

Don’t tell everyone you’re going away

We get it, you’re excited about going away. Keep your excitement to yourself though and don’t tell everyone on Facebook about your plans. All this does is tell a potential burglar your house is empty. Also, be careful who you tell when you’re out and about. You might trust your neighbour who you bump into in the local shop but you don’t know who’s lurking behind the baked beans and has picked up on your travel plans. Walls have ears and all that.

And while we’re on the subject of social media, don’t constantly update your feed with photos of you and your entire family on the beach or in a bar sipping cocktails. We all love a humblebrag but you’re just advertising your empty house to intruders, so save the holiday snaps for your return.

Get your house cleaned thoroughly before leaving

Ensuring that your house is thoroughly cleaned before you leave for vacation is crucial for maintaining a healthy and safe home environment. A clean house helps prevent the build-up of dust, dirt, and food crumbs that can attract pests such as ants, rodents, and insects. Additionally, thorough cleaning paired with services akin to mold removal in Pittsburgh, PA or your location can mitigate the risk of mold growth, which thrives in damp, cluttered, and dirty areas.

Put simply, by taking the time to get your home cleaned, you reduce the chances of returning to unpleasant surprises. Not only does this protect your home, but it also provides peace of mind, allowing you to enjoy your vacation without worrying about the state of your living space.

Ask your neighbours to keep an eye on things

If you’re friendly with your neighbours, ask them to keep an eye on your house while you’re away. If you’ve got pets, perhaps your neighbours will feed them for you, which will save you spending money putting your cat or dog in a cattery or kennels (and will save your pets from the distress of being taken out of the home and temporarily housed in a strange environment).

Likewise, your neighbours could be invaluable in maintaining your home’s appearance and security. They might be willing to water your plants, open curtains in the morning, and close them at night, creating the illusion of occupancy. To further enhance this effect, consider asking them to coordinate exterior window cleaning in Cypress (if that’s where your home is located or a similar service elsewhere). This can be helpful as clean windows not only keep your house looking pristine but also signal to potential intruders that the property is well-maintained and likely occupied. This dual-purpose approach of upkeep and security can provide peace of mind during your absence.

If you do have a neighbour kind enough to do this for you, don’t forget to bring them back something nice as a thank-you. As an extra-thoughtful gesture, take any dietary requirements they may have into consideration (tee-total, vegan, gluten-free, etc.). Another nice way to show appreciation could be offering to return the favor when they go on vacation or need help with something around their home.

Lock doors and windows

This one probably sounds obvious. After all, you’re unlikely to go away for a length of time without making sure all your doors and windows are locked. If you live in a particularly rough area you might not even go to the local shop without securing your home as tightly as Fort Knox.

But have you taken all the keys out of the locks though? If you, like many people, usually keep your back door key in the back door and all the window keys in the window locks, take the keys out and put them somewhere out of sight. If you have Window Shades, make sure they’re closed for the duration of your vacation. You don’t want anyone peering into your house!

Of course, if you are worried that someone will be able to get into your home with a specific set of keys that they may have had copied without you knowing, you may decide to get in touch with somewhere like the nearest locksmith in Marietta ga to ensure that your residence is as secure as possible by replacing all the locks on your property. If you would like a peace of mind, this is something that you should definitely think about doing.

Smart assistant

Smart assistants such as those from Amazon and Google can be programmed to play music or other sounds at times specified by you. There are even burglar deterrent playlists that replicate the sound of households performing daily activities such as cleaning, talking, laughing, working in the home office and preparing food.

Conclusion

We’re sure you have plenty of common sense and won’t leave your house open to intruders but hopefully these tips will come in handy. Now you know how to protect your home while you’re away, we hope you have a fab holiday! Bring us back a stick of rock, yeah?