Christmas Holiday Home Safety Tips

If you’re lucky enough to be heading away these holidays, we have put together a few helpful tips to ensure your home is secure and safe from intruders and to prevent your house becoming a target for thieves.

Secure Your House
– Ensure all doors and windows are fitted with good quality locks and that they are secure before leaving.
– Place all valuables out of sight.
– Fit / Check external sensor lights around entrances.
– Ensure all garden tools, ladders and other tools that may be used to break into your house are locked away in your shed.
– Have side gates locked.
– Place security signage in visible places.
– Remove keys from windows and sliding doors.
– Do not leave spare keys in hiding spots around the home.
– Trim trees and shrubs that may provide cover for an intruder.
– Turn down the volume of your telephone and don’t leave a message stating you are away.

Give the appearance that someone is home
–  Trim your lawn and tidy the yard prior to leaving.
–  Use an automatic timer for selected lights.
–  Have your neighbour put out and put away your bin on rubbish day.
–  Have someone collect your mail. You can also have Australia Post hold your mail, but this will come at a cost.

A few Extra Tips
–  Have a chat to your neighbours before you leave and leave them with a contact number for emergencies.
–  Ensure your house and contents insurance is current and provides coverage for the correct amount.
–  If heading away just after Christmas, ensure you don’t leave any electronic and other expensive items packaging laying around or in the bin, as this can alert would-be thieves as to what’s inside.

One last thing, remember to have a great holiday and take some time out for yourself!

Note: This information is provided as a guide only.