As you pack your bags ready to head away for a festive getaway, stop and ask yourself if you believe your property is going to be safe and secure whilst you’re away. Christmas is the main time of year for properties being targeted with the 17th – 20th December as the most common time for burglaries.
We’ve put together two important tips on how to ensure your property is secure before you head away to avoid festive misery and a large insurance claim to start the New Year.
Maintenance
Is your property maintained well? Do all the windows and door shut and lock and does your linked garage securely close? If you’ve got wooden sash windows, when did you last check them to ensure they shut and lock and can’t be opened from the outside? If you’re the Landlord of a property, drop round before Christmas and make sure that the doors and windows are all correctly maintained – check them yourself but giving them a little bit of a push to ensure no one could force them open.
Security
If the property has an alarm, always ensure it is set when you leave the house. Not only to alert of an intruder, but also because some insurance policies dictate that if you have an alarm, it must be set. Walk around your property in the dark, make sure all of your security lights work correctly and light up any dark areas that could potential be ways in to the boundary of your property. Set some lights on timers to come on inside the property at night to give the look of someone being home…there’s even a device that can simulate the light given off by your TV that can come on with a timer.
You could even ask a friendly neighbour or relative to drop round and put your bins out or push your mail through the letter box. Plus, leaving a car on the drive will help to make it look like someone is home to avoid the property becoming a target for potential burglars.
Once you’ve left the property do one final walk around, check all doors are locked…including the garage door and shut and bolt gates before setting off.
