5 simple tips to keep your home safe this Summer

The summer sun has finally arrived in Ireland, and while it’s great to be able to plan a trip away or two, it’s important to remember to keep our homes safe while on our travels. 

Besides the obvious, like house alarms and house sitters, there’s a few simple steps we can take to ensure our homes are a little less appealing to burglars.

1. CCTV for Dummies

Installing CCTV for your house and its surroundings can be expensive, but fixing a camera or two to the outside of your porch doesn’t have to be. Although it’s a common trick and burglars may be aware that this system is a dummy, they’re a lot less likely to take their chances. Simply screw a couple of webcams around your front door and let them act as a deterrent for a fraction of the price that the real deal would cost you!

2. Your holiday is your business

We all get super excited about our holidays and want to boast to the world that we’re sipping sangria on a Monday morning instead of staring blankly at our screens. However, this is merely advertising our own vulnerability to thieves. By letting the public know that we’re on the beach in Gran Canarias, we're also implying that our homes are sitting empty, giving criminals the heads up that they have an easy target!

3. Bring your car keys with you – even if you’re leaving your car

We’ve all heard the horror stories about thieves ‘fish-hooking’ car keys from hallway tables. Unfortunately, this is a very real risk. Many burglars are accessing car keys through the letterbox, avoiding the risk of setting off a house alarm. So, if you’re jetting off and leaving your car at home, it’s a good idea to bring your keys with you. Even if you're unlucky enough to experience a burglary while you’re away, it’s a lot less likely they’ll be escaping in your car if there are no car keys to steal.

4. Lock up and light up 

Whether you're at home or going out, remember to turn on some lights, use timer switches, lock all doors and windows, use an alarm, store keys away from windows and letter boxes, and don’t keep large amounts of cash or jewellery in the house. If you're bringing your car with you on holidays or taking it on a road trip, ask your neighbours if they could park their car in your porch regularly – this will look like there is someone coming in and out of the house.

5. Most importantly

Last but definitely not least, the most important aspect of home safety - your Home Insurance! Make sure that you read the terms and conditions that your Insurance policy provides; you'll want to know what exactly you're covered for in the event of a break-in. 

Remember, with 123.ie, we offer you House Insurance cover you can count on, so that you can enjoy your holidays and leave your worries behind.