Your guide to keeping your home safe when you’re on holiday

Whether you’re going away for a long weekend, a week, or a fortnight, you’ll want to do everything you can to make sure your home’s secure. To help, here are 10 top tips to keep your home safe while you’re taking a break.

1. Have external lights fitted to the front and back of your property. They can help deter would-be burglars as they’ll turn on automatically if anyone approaches your home.
2. You should make sure your gates and shed are secured with padlocks and bolts. You might want to lock items you have left out in the garden such as your lawnmower and any bikes in your garage, especially if you’re going away for a while.
3. Get a burglar alarm or security system fitted if you don’t have one. That way, if the worst does happen and someone tries to get in, there’s a good chance they’ll be quickly put off.
4. Give a friend or neighbour a key and ask them to check on your property, ideally every day. You don’t want a pile of post on view. They may be willing to open and close your curtains, too. If there are any issues for instance, if there’s a leak, they should be able to alert you and get it sorted, so any damage is minimised.
5. If you don’t have a friend or neighbour who can move your post, apply for the Royal Mail’s Keepsafe service, who can hold your post for up to 66 days for a fee.
6. You shouldn’t leave any money in your home, even if you think it’s well hidden. It needs to be in a bank or building society.
7. Cancel any milk or newspaper deliveries, and remove any washing from your washing line. Mow your lawn just before you go, so that it doesn’t grow too long while you’re away. This should stop your home from looking unoccupied. Again, this is a job a friend or neighbour could do if you ask them nicely.
8. Have some of your lights on a timer, especially if you’re going away in the winter months. A house that’s dark for days is an obvious sign that no one’s around.
9. Make sure all your doors and windows are securely locked, and any keys are hidden away from view.
10. Make sure you have adequate home insurance. Check your policy to see what is and isn’t covered when your home is unoccupied. If your home was burgled, flooded or damaged by fire while you were away, you’d want to be able to repair and replace, without any hassle.

Our home insurance

Home insurance is essential all year round, not just when you’re on holiday. If you don’t currently have a policy, or if it’s due for renewal soon, why not get a quote for our home insurance, we’ve been awarded 5 stars by industry experts Defaqto and our home insurance includes accidental damage cover for laptops, computers, audio equipment and TV's as standard. Terms and conditions apply.