1. Neighbourly Love

Being chummy with your neighbours could be handy when you plan a trip away from home. Having someone you know well right next door can play an important part in keeping your house secure while you are away. So next time when you’re bringing in the bin, maybe bring in theirs while you’re at it – who knows, they may return the favour by putting you bin out while you’re away.

Let your neighbours know you are going away and for how long:
– Ask them to put out your garbage bin and bring it in
– If you feel comfortable, ask them to bring in your mail
– Provide an emergency contact number they can call if they notice something on your property amiss

2. Hold it right there…

If you are planning a holiday longer than a few days, request the post office to hold the mail & cancel usual deliveries (such as newspapers). There’s nothing that gives away an empty house more than a mailbox overflowing with mail – apart from the obvious, it also increases the chance of your mail and deliveries being stolen while you are away.

3. Let’s take a break!

Unless you and your cleaner go way back (since like, birth, and you consider them a friend) you may want to put a hold on their services while you are away. Cancel or advice your gardener/pool guy/cleaner not to come during this period. If you still need the property maintained, tell them someone is staying at the house but will be out when they come over (So they don’t know the house is empty while you are away)

4. Fake it till you make it

If you don’t have a working alarm system – fake it like you do. You can purchase fake alarm stickers online and place them on your windows which will make the potential burglar think twice before breaking and entering. A study by the AIC showed having an alarm system is the second best deterrent to stop people breaking into your home. The first one being a noisy dog!

5. Take my picture

Make sure you take a picture of all of your valuables including, jewellery, electronics, art – anything that is of value to you. Having a camera roll of these items will not only assist police, but will make a huge difference at claim time.

6. They’re a creative bunch

Believe it or not, potential burglars don’t usually have a handy bag of tools to get inside your home. They’re a creative bunch that will use anything they can find lying around your yard to get in, such as screwdrivers. Make sure you take some time before your trip to tidy up your garden and secure any items that a burglar can use to get into your home.

7. Hands off!

Make sure you don’t have your valuables lying around. Find some tricky hiding places so that if someone does gain entry into your home, they aren’t displayed nicely in the glass cabinet screaming ‘Pick me! Pick me!’.

8. Honey, we’re home.

Purchase a couple of timers for your lights near the windows that can turn on for an hour or so at night to make potential burglars think someone is home. You could consider leaving your car in the driveway, if you think it will act as a deterrent. No cars and no lights for a long period of time is usually a pretty good tell tale sign that the house is empty.

9. #ComeRobMe

Think before you post – do you trust everyone on your social media accounts? Sharing a post about your trip can tell potential burglars when no one is home. Save the posts for when you’re on your way home – plus that way you get to reminisce about all the fun you just had while scrolling through your thousands of photos, it really is a win-win.

10. Drumroll…

This may be the most important point of all. Because sometimes, no matter how prepared you are – someone will still get into your home to steal your hard earned belongings and damage your property. Unless you have a great insurance adviser looking after you that’s got you covered with the RIGHT insurance, you may never be able to replace those items again, or be able to afford to fix the damage caused to your home.

With so many different policies available, how do you know you have the right one in place? Not only does an Ausure adviser find the most suitable option to suit your individual needs, they are also your knight in shining armour when it comes to claim time.

Speak to one of our trusted advisers today so you can enjoy your holiday without stressing about the house.
Call us today on 1300 587 225, or click here to leave us a message and we will get back to you.