Winter is just around the corner, and at this time of the year many of us like to fly off abroad to escape the wet and windy weather of the UK and enjoy some winter sun. However, it is important to be aware of the risks to the home and how to protect against them whilst we are gone – this is a favourite time of year for burglars, as the longer and darker evening mean that they can go about less likely to be detected. So, before you go off on your trip abroad, think about ways that you can ensure that your home is safe whilst you are gone – here are some ideas for you…
Make sure that your Home is Difficult to Access
A burglar will be on the lookout for easy ways to get onto your property. As well as your home itself they might want to access your shed and garage as well as other outbuildings, so it is important that you secure the perimeter of your property as well as the doors and windows. Things like electric gates such as these https://completegateautomation.co.uk/ from the Electric gate company can help to prevent people from accessing your land, but you also need to focus on securing the back and sides of the property as this can be a popular access point with burglars. Using lighting helps, especially in darker places such as alleyways at the side of the property and in the garden – look at motion detector lights or solar lighting. It is also important to repair any broken or damaged fences around the garden, and plant thorny shrubs which can prevent people from getting in.
Get someone to Keep an Eye on the Property
Whilst you are away, it is good to have a trusted neighbour, friend or family member go into your home regularly. Burglars look for signs that a home is vacant so someone in there to collect post, turn lights on and park on the drive will put them off coming in. Getting the person to come over at different times of the day also means that a burglar will not be able to predict when they will be there so are less likely to take the chance.
Use CCTV and Alarms
In the modern world we have a lot of technology at our fingertips to help us keep an eye on our home. Having the house fitted with security alarm systems as well as CCTV is a deterrent to burglars. It also means that we can check on our home whilst we are away giving added peace of mind, as there are many security systems that can display the footage on your phone, so if you are not in you will be alerted to any movement around the property. Having this at your fingertips means that should you notice anything suspicious you can alert police immediately even if you are miles away sipping a sangria in the sun!
