When the summer arrives it can be easy to get a little bit lax with your home security. You probably leave windows open when you go out and it’s very tempting to tell everyone via social media about all your holiday plans.
It’s certainly worth thinking about your home security at this time of the year, even though you might think your property is more vulnerable during the winter months.
Good Housekeeping recently shared advice from Get Safe Online, which has issued some advice for anyone jetting off somewhere exotic (or even staying closer to home) for their summer holiday.
Sarah Martinez, an online safety expert at the organisation, explained sharing your holiday plans on social media before you go is a bad idea because you’re “essentially advertising that your home is empty”.
“A cyber criminal can then easily find out your address from other online accounts and pay your empty home a visit. And if you’ve ever posted a picture of your house or hinted at your address on social media, you’re making the pieces of the puzzle even easier for a criminal to put together,” she asserted.
So, what should you be doing before you go on holiday? Firstly, don’t splash it all over social media.
Doing so could not only mean that criminals can find out that your home will be empty, but it could also invalidate your home insurance policy. Most insurers will include a clause that requires you to take “reasonable care”. That means not telling everyone when you’ll be out of town, as well as making sure you lock up when you leave.
The advice instead is to save your holiday posts until you’re home, and to avoid using the location or check-in feature on such sites.
Of course, avoiding oversharing on social media is far from the only thing you can do to protect your property.
You should also make sure that you install appropriate security features. It’s advisable to check the condition of the locks on your doors and windows if you haven’t done so recently.
If you need advice about which is the most suitable new lock to fit, or just want an experienced person to give your locks a once-over, get in touch with a locksmith in Derby, or wherever you live.
We offer a free security consultation, for example. We’ll look not only at the quality and condition of the locks around your home, but can also advise on other security measures like cameras, lights and burglar alarms.
There is a host of home security technology that makes it easier than ever to keep an eye on your home while you’re away too.
Good Housekeeping highlighted products like a wi-fi security camera that saves footage for up to seven days on the cloud, and video doorbells that can record activity around your front door while you’re away.
You can even check this footage while you’re on holiday and can receive alerts if you want, so that you can see what’s been going on around your property while you’re not there.