Keeping your home safe while you're on holiday
Preparing for a well-earned holiday is an exciting time, but you shouldn’t let that get in the way of making sure your house is secure while you’re away.
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Life gets hectic in the lead up to your holiday. There’s a whole lot of packing and planning to be done and with all that, it’s easy to forget about keeping your house safe once you’re gone. Whether you’re tramping through one of New Zealand’s Great Walks or soaking up the sun beachside, you want to know that things will be the way you left them when you return. No need to worry. Here at Tower we’ve come up with an easy guide to ensuring your house is as secure as possible whilst you’re off doing the things you want to be doing. It's a good idea to sort contents insurance ahead of time too.
Install an alarm
With a burglar alarm fitted, you’ve already scared off potential criminals. Make sure that your alarm is visible from the footpath – that way when a thief spots it from the streets they’re much more likely to move on. After all, they won’t want to get caught and the risk of setting off a loud alarm just isn’t worth the effort. Modern alarms are typically linked to a security service, so when set off, help isn’t far away. You could also explore getting smart security cameras that you can monitor on your phone. These can start from $100, with battery powered options if you want the flexibility of taking them with you.
Be smart with lights
A lot of people leave their lights on when they head off on holiday to make it look as if someone’s in. This may sound like a good tactic, but cunning criminals are wising up to it, so if your lights are left on 24/7 you might not be fooling anyone and to top it off you'll be sending your electricity bill through the roof! Leaving your house completely in the dark won’t help either, it will just be even clearer that you’re not around. You could either get yourself some timers that can be set to turn on and off or explore smart lighting and bulb solutions that you can turn on or off remotely through your mobile. You can even install curtains that draw and open themselves when necessary, for extra security too.
Have a house sitter
A safe bet is to invite a friend or family member to stay at your home for a week or two. It sounds simple but this way thieves are much more likely to keep away from your property. Plus, having a house sitter means they can take care of your fur or plant babies too.
Cancel your newspaper and have mail collected
If your letterbox is about to burst, this is a giveaway that no one's home. Luckily, it’s an easy fix - ask a friendly neighbour, a close friend or a family member to collect your mail each day.
Be mindful of what you post online
While all you might want to do is share your holiday photos, it’s worth being wary of what you post online while you’re away. This can alert potential criminals to an unoccupied house, so try to limit what you’re posting online, or at least check that your privacy settings are as tight as possible. Think about it – how many of your Facebook friends or Twitter followers do you even know that well?
Protect your contents
Contact the helpful team at Tower to discuss your contents insurance options – we’ll be glad to talk you through them. Or use our Quick Quote tool here to see what cover you need.
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