5 Travel Tips when Leaving your Home

Crime-stopper tips when leaving your home behind.

The holiday of a lifetime is booked, you are happy, the kids are happy, everyone is happy. It would be great if you could return home after your holiday in the same jolly spirits without realizing you have been burgled and are now a statistic in the ever increasing crime rate figures. New statistics show that although crime rate has fallen, burglaries in England and Wales have increased.

To enable you to relax when you set off for your holiday, you want to be safe in the knowledge you have taken adequate security precautions to secure the contents of your home. Crime statistics show that around 50% of all burglaries occur when a house or a flat is unoccupied. Some common tips such as canceling milk and magazine subscriptions will help as nothing informs a burglar better that no one is home than a doorstep full of unused items. BUT apart from the basics, what can you do to improve your home security whilst you are away? Here are 5 top security tips to consider before you jet off.

1. Double check you locked doors and windows

You would be surprised how many people forget this – remember it is always worth double checking just before you go to give you peace of mind. It may seem like common sense but a recent crime report indicates that windows and doors account for the entry point of 30% and 70% of all burglaries respectively.

2. Flaunt your security measures

You don’t have to have a full scale security system to keep your home secure. Properties which displayed a security method, such as a fake CCTV camera, were 20% less likely to be targeted. It may be worth investing in security preventions like this as they are often always cheaper than you might expect, and if you don’t have the budget for that, invest in a security sign.

3. Get Rid of Tell Tale Signs

One sure fire way burglars know what house is a prime target is small tell tale signs that they can spot a mile off. The build up of milk and magazines on a doorstep is one but another commonly used trick a potential intruder uses to check if someone has left their house unoccupied, is looking through the letterbox to see if there is a build-up of post lying on the floor by the door. The best way to avoid this problem is to ask a neighbor to look after your house and to collect the mail daily. Alternatively, The Royal Mail’s has a ‘Keepsafe’ service which will keep your mail for you while away.

4. Keep your holiday tags on your baggage hidden

Thieves are highly intelligent and through their years of experience they have learned to adapt to suit potential opportunities. Studies and admissions by former burglars have highlighted that burglars often head to airports and look for the addresses on the baggage tags before they make their move – Just make sure yours are hidden so it is not your address they write down.

5. Invest in light timers

It wouldn’t surprise anyone that 56% of all burglaries reported occurred at night. Investing in light timers is a relatively cheap and great idea for holiday security. Light timers work as a time adapter than automatically switches on electric points at a specified time, which means you can set what time you want your TV, radio or lights to be turned on. This gives the appearance that you are home and will definitely scare off any potential break in attempts.

If you tick off these simple tips before you go you can kick back and relax without the worry of your home security. This article was brought to you in association with Door Stop composite door manufacturers whose doors are police approved and come with security credibility.