8 ways to burglar-proof your home this summer



According to a recent study cited by the Mirror, 816,00 Brits will have their homes broken into while abroad this summer, so it’s really important to take the necessary steps to secure your humble abode. Team GP have put together eight simple tips that we hope will help burglar-proof your home...

1. Hide it



Piles of post, loaded bins not put out for collection and dead flowers are ready signs that your home is unoccupied. So, hide all evidence – chuck out the flowers before you go, ask a trusted neighbour to put your bins out, and give them a spare key so they can collect your post and store it out of sight (remember, a burglar might peer through your letterbox to gauge whether you’re in or not).

2. Hold it



If you’re jetting off for over a week and don’t want to bother your neighbours, sign up to Royal Mail’s Keepsafe service, which will hold all of your mail for 10 days for £14, or 17 days for £17. Just bear in mind that you’ll need to give them five working days’ notice.

3. Say it with flowers



Here’s a nifty trick: to give the impression that someone’s home, display some fresh-looking, fake flowers on a couple of your window sills for all to see. Just don’t forget to half-fill the vases with water so they look like the real McCoy.

4. Light it up


Light is a great deterrent that can make burglars think twice about targeting your property for fear of getting caught in the act. The GP Safeguard is a motion-sensor LED security light that will illuminate a large area outside your home. It’s also cordless, meaning you’re not tied to a socket and have free rein of where to install it – whether it’s above your front door or garage, in the back garden or down your driveway. Checkout our handy infographic for more benefits. For added security, team it with a Smart security camera like this –  at the tap of a button, the camera lets you see what is going on in your house while you sip on your cocktail by the pool.

5. Time it right



Take a leaf out of Home Alone Kevin McCallister’s book by making it look like people are home: set timers on your lamps, specifically those in the communal areas at the front of the house like the hallway and living room; make sure you check the bulbs before you go and replace them if necessary with some energy-efficient, longer-lasting ones to save on electricity (you’ll also be doing your bit for the environment too). As it’s summer, the lamps shouldn’t need to come on for too long – a few hours in the evenings at most.

6. Adopt a car


If you’re taking your car on holiday with you, you can have someone park on your drive while you’re away by signing up to Park on my Drive. Not only will it seem like your house is occupied, but you can earn some cash to put towards next year’s trip! Alternatively, ask a neighbour to park on your drive from time to time during your trip – or if you have a second car and would normally tuck it away in the garage, leave it visible on the drive instead.

7. Be anti-social



Resist the urge to turn friends and family green with envy by posting your pool and beach photos! By sharing holiday snaps on social media, you’re essentially advertising your empty home to the masses, and posts could end up being seen by the wrong person. Save sharing the holiday album until you’re back – besides, social media should be the last thing on your mind when you’re away!

8. Lock it up



Of course, it’s a given that you should shut all your windows and doors when out of the house, but they need to be locked too. If they aren’t locked and your home is burgled, an insurer will most likely deny your claim and refuse to pay out. Just before setting off, do a quick final check of all the windows,doors and gates – you can never be too safe, after all! Think about less obvious ways a burglar could get into your property as well - external ladder normally stowed away on the wall up the side of your house? Move that into a secure garage or shed, or bring indoors. The same applies to tools – don’t leave anything outside that somebody could use to break into your property.

With these handy hints, we hope you can relax on the beach safe in the knowledge that your home is protected. Happy holidays from all at GP!

Comments

  1. amazing prize for my sweet home!

    ReplyDelete
  2. A neighbour always watches out for papers sticking out of letterbox.

    ReplyDelete

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