12 Ways to Protect Your Home Before You Go on Holiday

Summer holidays, religious holidays and long weekends are periods when burglaries rise. Many incidents are made easier when it is obvious from outside that the home is empty. The 12 measures below help protect your home while you are away.

Do not make the home look empty

• Ask a neighbour to clear the letterbox and doorstep; piled-up newspapers and leaflets show the home is empty
• Switch lights on and off at different times with a timer or smart plug
• Do not close the curtains completely; permanently closed curtains also draw attention
• Share holiday photos after you return; real-time location and 'we are on holiday' posts can be risky

Secure the entry points

• Check the latch and hinge protection on the steel door
• Leave windows and balcony doors locked, not just closed
• Bring garden tools and ladders indoors so they do not help a burglar
• Do not leave a spare key under a flowerpot

Use technology

• Arm the alarm with all zones and review bypass settings
• Update the authorised contact list: who will be called if your phone is off?
• Test the recording and remote access settings of your cameras
• Turn off the gas valve, the main water valve and unneeded appliances to reduce fire and flood risk

What a monitoring subscription changes

In a monitored system, even if you are thousands of kilometres away the panel's signal reaches an operator. The operator calls you and, if unreachable, an authorised contact or the mobile team steps in. That means the home is never left unwatched during your holiday.

Final checklist

Before leaving, check once more: are all windows locked, is the hob off, is the alarm armed, are app notifications on? The Teyakkuz 'Holiday mode' switches lights on and off at random to suggest someone is home, and spares you a flood of notifications.

Holiday homes and long-empty houses

Do not assume that the only risk in a holiday home empty for months is burglary. Flood, damp, short circuits and gas leaks are just as costly. For these homes, think of a flood sensor, heat and smoke detectors and a monitoring subscription together. Add the phone number of a neighbour or the complex caretaker to the authorised contact list so the operator can reach them if you are unreachable.

In winter, a temperature sensor against frozen pipes and shutting the main valve are also important measures.

On your return, check the event history on the panel before going in: you can see whether any door or window was opened, communication lost or a low-battery warning raised during the holiday. If there is an unexpected entry, call the centre before entering.