Secure Your Home During the Holidays : The Right Reflexes !
There is worry about potential crimes or burglaries while you are gone from your accommodation for many days or even weeks. There are simple ways to reassure yourself and act swiftly if required, whether human or technical. Let’s go through several excellent reactions to adopt and choose from depending on your circumstance!
Entrust your accommodation to a loved one
Being present is the surest method to prevent the risks of absence! Not you, but a relative who is willing to come and stay in the apartment to avoid the temptation of stealing and any domestic mishaps (power failure resulting in the loss of frozen products, water leaks, etc.). This approach has the benefit of providing full peace of mind while also alleviating some restrictions, such as the need to maintain animals.
In the absence of full occupancy, a neighbor can play the role of the relative by coming to open the shutters in the morning and close them at night, and perhaps also turn on a light from time to time. Creating the illusion of occupation can be just as effective!
Have your house guarded by a third party
If you don’t have a family to stay with, you may ask a third party to stay with you throughout your trip. You have two options: paid services, for which you will find many advertisements on specialized sites with prices starting at 50 € per day and decreasing over time (170 € per week, for example), or exchange of vouchers procedures, in which you make your home available to holidaymakers wishing to visit your own region for free.
Obviously, you’ll have to put your faith in strangers in both instances and create space in your closet for their things.
Organize as vigilant neighbors
Neighborhoods are established in several towns to guarantee community safety. Surveillance is carried out in addition to patrols, especially for unfamiliar cars and individuals who seem to be too interested in empty housing.
This technique enables authorities to be notified as soon as feasible of a harmful conduct in the planning or execution stages. When signage is placed that interacts with the device, it also has the benefit of being a deterrent.
Equip yourself with a high-performance security system
If a worry remains after human resources have been put in place, why not invest in a sophisticated monitoring system? Alarms and other surveillance cameras, above all, serve as a deterrent to attempted burglaries and, if required, notify the authorities.
It is the guarantee of benefitting from direct and human monitoring of the accommodation, with the option of most frequently speaking live by voice. It is connected to a monitoring center for which you will pay a subscription (counting a minimum of twenty euros per month).
On the incident side, there are many detectors that may sound an alert in the case of a fire, flood, or excessive CO2 or humidity levels in the home. From this perspective, the alarm protects both your property and human health, and it is a useful ally in both your absence and presence.
Home automation at its core
If you want to go even farther and have full piece of mind, consider using home automation, which allows you to control anything from afar! It all depends on your personality in this regard: the most worried will want to open and close their shutters from their holiday location, switch on a light remotely in the dark, watch their lodging with cameras linked to their smartphone multiple times a day, and so on. Make sure your mind isn’t too busy over the holidays to ruin them!
In the absence of an incident, home automation provides you with the option of avoiding any inconvenience: it will alert you to any unusual occurrence in the house, whether it is an incursion or an incident. So you know that everything is OK as long as your smartphone does not notify you. The real vacation starts now!
Furthermore, this technology enables you to conduct a variety of remote activities, such as controlling the temperature, disabling the alarm, and even opening the door if a loved one needs to enter your house but does not have the key. You may even answer the intercom as though you were there if a stranger rings the doorbell to verify your absence.
Counter burglaries through secure access
Of course, if the entry points are difficult for attackers to breach, your house will be less likely to be targeted by a burglary. Burglars all have one thing in common: they’re in a hurry, so don’t make it easy for them!
First, make sure your front door is fitted with a 5-point lock or even fortified, since this is where 41% of thieves get access. Additional security, particularly on the shutters, may benefit windows (anti-lift system). Lock the garage door manually, maybe with a padlock attached to the ground. Deactivate the electronic door, which is readily hacked. A wooden or metal bar may be used to close the bay window opening.
Finally, don’t keep too much stuff outdoors. This is an invitation for shady characters to get interested in your garden, and eventually your home.
When the mind is free of worries about what is going on at home at this period, peaceful vacations are achievable. By taking these simple measures, you increase the likelihood that nothing unpleasant will occur, and you will be informed as soon as it does. As a result, pleasant holidays!