There is nothing more relaxing than going on holiday, but that nagging feeling of worry over the security of your home can be distracting. Reduce this sensation by making sure that you have made your house as safe as possible, and you will certainly get that much more out of your break away from everyday life.
Putting Up Appearances
When you are away, don’t advertise that your home is empty – it is imperative that you make it seem as though your house is occupied while you are away.
Be discreet when packing your car, and do so in the garage if possible. Don’t tell any unnecessary strangers that you are planning a holiday away from home. A common mistake that people make is leaving answering machine messages stating exact departure and return times.
Organise for a friend or trustworthy person living in your neighbourhood to check on your home daily. To make the house look lived in, ask your house sitter to switch on different lights on different days and to empty the post box. Simply having someone around the house creates the impression that your home is occupied, and could mean the difference between a break-in and a terrific, stress free holiday.
If you’d prefer not to have someone in your home, cancel your newspapers, set alarm clocks or radios to turn on at regular intervals during the day to create a lived-in impression. There are plenty of timer plugs on the market to turn specific lights or electronic devices on automatically.
Test Your Alarm System
Most alarm systems require that you test them once or twice a year, but few people actually carry out these important checks. It is no good having an alarm that is faulty and “cries wolf” or simply doesn’t sound – so there is no better time to test your early warning system than now To avoid overloading the system with false activations, it is important to always notify the ADT control room before any testing is carried out. Testing should be done outside of peak hours, between 8am and 4pm, or after 8pm. If a fault is discovered, it should be immediately reported to ADT’s technical team.
It is also be a good idea to let your private security company know that you will be going away.
Turn Off All Electrical Devices
Remove all unnecessary plugs from power points in your home, as well as your geyser. Not only will it save you on your electricity bill, but it will also prevent powers surges or storms from damaging computers or televisions.
Be careful not to accidentally unplug any alarm systems or backup generators.
Taking Care of Pets
There are a few options when considering pet care while you are away on holiday. You could either have someone come to your home to feed your animals for you, have someone take them into their home while you’re away or put your animals into the professional care of a kennel.
Final Checks Before You Depart
Go through your home and double check that all doors and windows are closed, locked and secure. Don’t leave any keys or valuables on show; this is only an invitation to burglars. Rather lock all extra car keys, personal documents and irreplaceable valuables away in a safe place.
Now that your house is secure, it is time to do what´s most important: go away on your well deserved holiday safe in the knowledge that your home is as safe and sound as possible. Enjoy your holiday.
Issued with compliments of ADT