11 tips for protecting your house against burglary during the holidays
Don’t want to return from a fantastic few weeks away in the sun to realize your home has been burgled?
It’s high season on Aruba. That means full beaches, no rental cars available and a lot of parties and activities. A period of a few weeks to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather. But it also means a lot of empty houses back home, a heaven for people with bad intentions. For them it’s a busy period. What can you do to prevent these uninvited guests coming into your house? In this article you’ll find 10 tips to protect your home against burglary. Maybe unnecessary for some people, but you cannot be careful enough.
It’s easy to forget what you’re leaving behind in the excitement of going away and were all guilty of doing this including me. Were in such a rush to get our sunglasses on, sit on a plane and enjoy the luxuries of a well-earned well needed break in the sun that we overlook what’s most important to us, our homes security. 78% of burglaries take place when nobody is at home.
1. Don’t talk about going on vacation on your voicemail or on social media. Opportunities make the thief and also burglars are on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
2. Make sure all your mail doesn’t remain on the floor behind the door when on vacation. Ask someone to pick it up every other day.
3. Make sure the windows and doors are properly locked. Good locks are obviously important here.
4. The more visible your house is from the road, the less chance you have that burglars see opportunities. So prune your trees and shrubs and leave the curtains open.
5. Don’t leave your house too tidy, but make sure your house gives an inhabited impression. For example, leave a newspaper or magazine on the table.
6. Light switch timers are a must and can be used to switch on your lights around your home according to your specified settings. Simple yet highly effective the feature allows you to pre-programme light timing sessions, so unlike most timing switches the lights do not turn on at the same timetabled daily time. This makes it even more difficult for any individual to assess what times the home is unoccupied, let alone know you’re out on a beach without any care in the world!
7. Don’t hide your keys under the doormat or under the flowerpot. Burglars will first look in those spots and can then enter your house easy as that.
8. Tell your neighbors you are on holiday and ask them to give some extra attention to your house.
9. Keep valuables out of sight so they are not visible from outside your home.
10. Provide your devices with GPS software that allows you to trace the location. For example, for your iPad, iPhone, Mac you can use ‘’Find my IPhone’’.
11. Outdoor lighting with a sensor deters burglars.
So with small measurements, you can make your home less appealing to burglars in the first place. Enjoy your vacation!
