It's not an urban myth - the one about the family coming home to find all the Christmas presents from under the tree have been stolen. During the lead up to Christmas and the summer holiday period, our homes can be empty for long periods. But what can you do to stay safe and protect your valuables while away?
The most important tip is to not make it obvious that the house is empty.
- Trim the grass before leaving (and arrange for it to be cut again if you will be away for a few weeks)
- Leave some lights on. Or, even better, install a simple timer system for some of your lights so they will turn on and off throughout the evening
- Get a neighbour or trusted person to empty your mail each day. A week's worth of junk mail is a sure sign you're not at home. If you are away for an extended period you can arrange to have your mail held with Australia Post
- Make sure the rubbish bins are put out on bin day (even if they are empty) and brought in later
- Cancel newspapers and any other regular deliveries
- Turn down the volume of the telephone ring
- Hang some (old) clothes on the line and even leave some shoes at the door
- Have someone park their car in your driveway
- Make arrangements for a friend or family member to stay in your house while you are away
- Don’t have your name and address on your keyring. It will be obvious that you are away from your home while holidaying and someone could arrange for your home to be burgled in your absence.
Lock your doors and windows. This may seem obvious but there’s no point having deadlocks on the doors and windows if you don’t use them. A survey by an insurance provider found 34% of people didn’t activate their deadlocks.
One of the problems with the holiday season is that often many people are away at the same time. Of your neighbours, who is going to be home to keep an eye on things while others are away? Derek Matthews of Neighbourhood Watch suggests that you take a few minutes to talk to your neighbours.
"Communicating with your neighbours makes the difference. Find out who is going to be home while you’re away and ask them to keep an eye on your house.
"They need to treat everything with the same curiosity and take note of strange happenings.
"If they see anything suspicious, they should take note of details such as a number plate or a physical description. All information helps.
"Remember, not all criminals looks like stereotypical burglars. They may be well dressed and clever at distracting attention or making a speedy entry. Most criminals will be after cash, jewellery or other valuables which are easily sold.
"It's interesting to note that insurers rate suburbs by their crime rates. If you can help to lower the crime rate in your suburb through a vigilant neighbourhood watch, you may help to lower insurance premiums."
Want to know more about neighbourhood watch and how you can get involved? Take a look at the Neighbourhood Watch website for more information.
Insurance considerations
If you go on an extended holiday, check your insurer will cover you for the period you’re away.
And what about the valuables you might take on holidays with you? After all, your fishing rods, golf clubs or digital camera can add up to quite a bit of money if they are stolen and you need to replace them. Check with your insurer whether your standard contents policy covers items that are removed from the home. You may need to pay more to extend your policy.
Before you leave, go through our handy holiday security checklist (PDF - 45kb). It will make sure you think of everything.
