Tips to prevent home burglary when you’re on holiday

Burglary is one of our greatest fears when we go away on holiday. When you’re away, your home will be unoccupied for several days and burglars now how to recognise the signs. That’s why we are now going to tell you what you should do to protect your home from burglary, whether you’re on holiday or not.

Security measures to prevent home burglary

At times you might want to get away for the weekend or travel somewhere to enjoy a few days of holiday and get away from it all. The problem is that it is difficult to switch off if you haven’t taken the appropriate measures to prevent home burglary. Pay attention to the following advice.

Install security cameras

Installing security cameras is a common preventive strategy to secure your home. Home video surveillance signs and physical evidence of these security devices have a dissuasive effect on possible intruders. The latest security cameras also enable owners to monitor their properties remotely and set up notifications and alerts on their mobile phones, should any movement be detected at home.

Give the impression that your home is occupied

This is a classic strategy and is very effective because it will mess with the minds of possible intruders. Home automation is key in this section and the most common systems usually include configurable plugs that you can connect to small lamps, setting them to turn on every day at certain times.  

Another option is to install home automation devices that are compatible with Amazon Echo or Google Home, such as lights or speakers, that you can turn on and off with your mobile phone without following an hourly pattern. This will achieve a better simulation of the home being occupied. 

Another simpler method would be to ask a neighbour, friend or family member to go and pick up your post and empty your mailbox, to give the impression that there are people home. 

If you have someone you can trust, you could also ask them to stop by your home in person every now and again. They will be able to notice if anything seems amiss and also, when they open the front door, this will break the typical seals or marks that potential intruders use to check if a home is inhabited or not over a certain period of time.

Maintain control over systems at home

Playing with the lights is just the first step to prevent burglary when on holiday. Automated homes are properties that offer many different configurable parameters, such as programming the blinds to go up and down, setting the lights to turn off and on, and activating any other electronic device.

If you don’t have an automated home, you could purchase programmable products or give the impression from the outside that someone is home by placing a virtual assistant at the front door and programming it to play music or conversations.

Install an alarm system

Alarms are very traditional systems that have been on the market for many years. It never hurts to have one, so that it can notify the police if a thief has entered your home to burgle it. And just simply putting up an alarm sign will dissuade many burglars from trying to enter your home. It is a preventive measure that effectively complements other methods.

Park your car in a well-lit place

What do you do with your vehicle when you travel in other ways, such as by train, plane or bus? When we go on holiday and don’t need to take our car, another major concern is whether it might get stolen, if you don’t have a garage or parking space at home. 

One option could be to rent a parking space while you’re away on holiday, or leave it in a public car park. If these options are feasible, you could follow the tips below: 

• Park your car in a busy area that is well-lit throughout the night. 
• Make sure that you have locked the doors before leaving the car. 
• Ask a neighbour, friend or family member to check on your vehicle every now and again to make sure it’s still there.

How to prevent burglary when you’re on holiday?

When going on holiday, you should take into account all the above tips, but there is another one that you should pay particular attention to.

Avoid posting about your holidays on social media

Social media has become a double-edged sword as, when you’re telling our friends where we’re going, you’re also telling any other person who may access your profile. Try not to use social media during your holidays because if you want to prevent burglary, you need to avoid giving thieves information about where you are.

You might think that having a private account is enough, but we would still advise you to not share information whether your account is private or not. These days there are many ways to hack a mobile device or access data that we think nobody can see. Get into the habit of sharing your holiday snaps the week after you take them.

What should you do if you are burgled?

If your home has been burgled, the best thing to do is call the police immediately from your mobile phone or from your neighbour’s house. Do not hang up after giving them the details about your home, stay on the line and request medical assistance if necessary.

It is essential that you do not move any object, furniture, appliances, etc., as the police will need to look for fingerprints or other clues.

If you have been on holiday, check your surveillance cameras to see if the burglars can be identified. Everything in the recordings may be important, from their clothing to the car numberplate, if they used a vehicle to flee the scene. Finally, try to remain calm above all and trust the police to deal with the situation.

At AQ Acentor we offer home developments where you can easily install and configure any of these home automation and video surveillance devices to prevent home burglary.