Life can be hectic in the lead up to a holiday. There’s a whole lot of planning to be done and it’s easy to forget about things back at home once you’re gone. Whether you’re tramping through one of New Zealand’s Great Walks or soaking up the sun beachside, you want to know that things will be the way you left them when you return. The Tower team has come up with an easy guide to help keep your home safe from potential thieves while you're away.
Install an alarm
With a burglar alarm fitted, you’ve already scared off a potential break-in. Make sure your alarm is visible from the footpath – that way when a thief spots it from the street they’re much more likely to move on. The risk of setting off a loud alarm just isn’t worth the effort! Modern alarms are typically linked to a security service, so when set off, help isn’t far away. You could also explore getting smart security cameras that you can monitor easily on your phone.
Be smart with lights
A lot of people leave their lights on when they head off on holiday to make it look as if someone’s home. This may sound like a good tactic, but thieves are wising up to it. Leaving your lights on 24/7 won't be fooling anyone and you'll be sending your power bill through the roof!
Leaving your house completely in the dark won't help either, it will just be even clearer that you're not around. You can invest in light switch timers that can be set to turn on and off at specific times, or go down the smart lighting path and look into bulb solutions that can be turned on and off using your mobile phone. You can even install curtains that draw and open themselves when necessary, for extra security too.
Have a house sitter
A safe bet is to invite a friend or family member to stay at your home while you're away. This option is ideal too when you have fur or plant babies that need looking after!
Cancel your newspaper and have the mail collected
If your letterbox is about to burst, this is a giveaway that no one's home. Luckily, it’s an easy fix - ask a friendly neighbour, a close friend or a family member to check your letterbox frequently.
Be mindful of what you post online
While all you might want to do is share your holiday photos, it’s worth being wary of what you post online while you’re away. This is an easy way to let people know no one's home, so try limiting what you're posting online, and check that your privacy settings are as tight as possible.
Protect your contents
It's a good idea to get on top of your contents insurance before you go away. Our Contents Calculator is a great tool to use to see if you have the right cover for you. Our helpful team at Tower are here to discuss your contents insurance options - we'll be glad to talk you through them.
If you're a Tower customer, you can use My Tower to make any changes to your contents policy, or use our Quick Quote tool here to see what cover you need.
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