Heading off for a well earned break? Make Sure You Keep Your Home Secure
The Spring and Summer, for many, is a time to get away for the odd weekend in the British countryside or to escape this country entirely and head off to foreign shores. However, if you are heading away for a few days, make sure you do everything you can to keep your property safe. You can start by ensuring that you have contents insurance in place and at the right level. Remember, most insurance policies specify a maximum period of time you can leave your property empty, so if you are going away for a substantial length of time it’s worth checking your insurance policy for this.
Unfortunately, thieves know that many people will leave their properties empty for periods over the coming months. Don’t make life easier for them; there’s lots you can do to keep them out whilst your home is empty. Here are a few basic precautions you could take.
This means making your home look as if someone is living there whilst you’re away. You may be tempted to close all the curtains but this is not recommended. Instead, ensure that all windows and doors are locked properly, set a few low-energy lights to come on at night using a timer and cancel any deliveries so that they don’t build up - a clear sign to thieves that no one is home. You can also use the Royal Mail's “keepsafe” service – they keep your mail for up to 2 months while you're away. Mail sitting on your doorstep is a sign that you are away.
Even something as simple as tidying up the outside of the house and mowing the lawn can help to put off thieves who will be more attracted to properties which look as if no one has been living in them for a while. All of these steps will make it less likely that your property will be targeted and that you will have to claim on your contents insurance as a result.
Another thing you can do is to ask a trusted neighbour or friend to check on your home once every day or two to see that everything is in order and to clear up any post which may have gathered. But obviously only allow someone that you really trust to do this.
If you make sure you take a few simple safety precautions, you can reduce the chance that you will have to make a claim on your contents insurance policy when you get back.
