With spring almost around the corner, you might start planning various short and longer breaks and holidays. Unfortunately, with that, not only your family gets excited about the prospect of going away. Burglars will see this time as a great opportunity to break in and help themselves to your property.
However, in most cases, they will do so only if they realize that you are away. By preventing them from thinking so, you can greatly reduce the risk of your house being broken into.
Here are 5 things you can do today to make sure that your house looks inhabited and reduce the risk of burglary:
1. Install Timers For Lights And Other Electronic Devices
The first thing that might reveal the house is not lived in at the moment is lack of any lights going on and off. The same goes for sounds and noises.
One way to ensure that your house is not look dark and silent is to install timers for lights and some electronic equipment.
Such timers are relatively cheap, yet will allow you to set lights and equipment such as TV or a radio to go on and off at specific times.
You can set lights in your living room to go on at the time of the most popular TV show in your country, same with the TV and have kitchen lights to stay on for longer as people usually go in and out of it all the time.
By setting up your timers cleverly you can trick anyone into believing that someone is in the house whereas in fact, it stands empty.
2. Redirect Your Post
The second thing that can give the impression that the house is empty is post and junk mail stacking up at the door. There is a number of ways you can prevent that from happening.
Clearly display the “No Junk Mail” sign
Most leaflet distribution services respect the owners rights to refuse having junk mail delivered. In most cases, a simple “no junk mail” sign is enough to greatly reduce the amount of junk you receive
Redirect your post
If you are going away for longer, ask the post office to redirect it to your neighbor or hold it for you until you come back. Most postal services around the World offer both options for very little money.
Get a neighbor to pick up your post
Lastly, you can also ask your neighbors to pick up the post and any junk mail left at your door. If you have a post box, ask them to push the letters inside so they don’t stick out.
3. Do Not Keep Rooms Completely Tidied Away
Most people tidy up their homes before going on holidays. It makes perfect sense, nobody wants to return to a dirty home.
The trouble is, a tidy house often means an empty house.
Therefore, leave a bit of mess in rooms that can be looked into from the accessible windows. Leave a book opened on the coffee table and a cup and a spoon (ideally a bit dirty). Have a cook book opened on the kitchen counter and used glasses on the table.
4. Do Not Mown Your Lawn Before The Holidays
Seemingly, many people mown their lawns before heading away. Doing so is naturally a sign of someone living in the house, however, if you do that before you go, you miss on the opportunity of creating that impression when you are away.
Instead, ask your neighbor to mow your lawn when you are away. Or hire a company to do it on a specific day. This way you will make the impression that someone is looking after the house even if you are not actually there.
5. Throw Away Your Answering Machine And Redirect Your Calls
Lastly, if you have an answering machine, throw it away! The amount of people who still record a message saying they are on holidays (and even when they will be back) is astonishing. You couldn’t make it easier for burglars to know that you are not at home than by telling it to them yourself.
Instead, switch off the answering machine and redirect your calls to your mobile. Whenever the phone rings, you will always pick up, giving the impression that you are in the house right now.
Jenny Bourke is an avid writer, mom, wife and cyclists. She is constantly focused on security, especially during her frequent cycling trips with the family. She works for The Happy Bike a bicycle storage center.
