You can’t truly relax on holiday unless you know that your home is secure. From our perspective, your home’s security should be an integral part of your vacation preparation, right up there with finding your passport, booking your hotel and that last-minute packing!
With that in mind, here are 10 ideas to keep your home safe while you’re away enjoying your holidays.
1. Make it look like someone’s home
There are lots of simple hacks you can use to make your home look occupied like programming timer switches for your lights to give the impression someone’s home. Set them on and off at random times to keep would-be burglars guessing as to your whereabouts.
And remember to cancel any regular deliveries and to redirect your mail, so that packages don’t stack up on your doorstep, giving the game away.
2. Offer your driveway as a parking space
Offer your neighbours a parking space on your driveway while you’re away to make your house look occupied — they will appreciate this gesture if they have friends or family coming to stay.
If you live near a public transport hub, you can hire your driveway out to commuters and earn some extra dollars too!
3. Install security doors and screens
For the ultimate peace of mind, have security screen doors installed in your home.
They’re an effective way to make your home safe from intruders, providing an extra barrier between the outside and your interior.
Made from strong materials like stainless steel, security doors and screens are also resistant to the Gold Coast climate and easy to maintain.
4. Invest in high-quality blinds or shutters
Your choice of window treatments can also add an extra layer of security to your home.
Why not consider plantation shutters or panel glide blinds to stop prying eyes from looking into your home?
They’re the stylish way to help keep prying eyes out whilst enhancing your interior decor.
5. Fit an alarm
A burglar alarm is always going to be a deterrent to would-be intruders. With fast response times from security companies and those very visible stickers on windowsills, an alarm will deter many would-be burglars.
6. Fit cameras and a video doorbell
Nowadays, it’s easy to have cameras and a video doorbell fitted outside your home.
They link to an app on your phone so you can monitor your home from wherever you are and call for help if you spot anything amiss.
You can install the simplest battery-run devices yourself and set them to detect motion within a certain range so you can be alerted any time someone approaches your home.
7. Stash your valuables away
Don’t leave valuables on show while you’re away — it can be all too tempting for a thief to do a ‘smash and grab’ if your house looks empty.
Lock away smaller valuables like jewellery or electronic devices, and position bigger items like televisions away from your windows.
8. Keep quiet about your holiday
Tempting though it is to brag on social media about your trip, don’t succumb to posting any details until you are home.
You don’t want to advertise the fact that your house is empty to any potential intruders, so save posting your best holiday pics till you’re back from holidays.
9. Maintain your garden
Nothing screams ‘vacant house’ more than an unruly garden. This is particularly true in the summer months when your plants are likely to put on a growth spurt.
So, arrange for a gardening service to call round, and keep everything trimmed and tidy while you’re away.
10. Lock your windows and doors
It sounds obvious, but make sure you lock your windows and doors before you go away.
If you don’t already have window locks, get them fitted — this is an easy DIY job that you can do yourself, or ask a professional to fit them before you go on holiday.
And as a bonus tip…
11. Consider installing a digital lock on both front and rear entry doors
To make your life even easier before you go on holiday, consider installing a digital lock to your main points of entry.
The benefits of having digital locks installed include:
- Give trusted friends, family, or neighbours a temporary passcode to check on the house while you’re away.
- If you have a cleaner or someone feeding your pets, you can give them specific passcodes that only operate within a timeframe that you set, and a phone alert lets you see when they have entered your home.
- If there’s an emergency and you have operational Wi-Fi bridge to your locks, you can unlock the doors remotely or alternatively just send a ‘one time’ PIN code directly to whoever you need to let in.
- Digital locks mean you don’t have to keep track of keys, as you can operate the locks from your phone.
- If you’re away without the teenagers, a phone alert lets you know when they get home, so you can relax and enjoy the holiday.
Enjoy your next holiday with peace of mind!
Follow our 10-point plan and set off on your holiday knowing that your home will be secure in your absence.
Want to know about home security? Scorpio Screens and Blinds is the acknowledged leader in security doors and screens on the Gold Coast.
Get in touch with our expert team to develop a custom security door and screen solution for your Gold Coast home or office. You’ll be glad you did!