Criminals are always active in the suburbs, and increase their activity during traditional holiday periods when they know that many people are going away.

They keep a watchful eye out for signs that you are away, and then break in to your house at their leisure. Their scouting techniques have been developed over many years and you most likely will not even be aware that they are watching your house. But they are!

The good news is that there are a lot of simple things you can do to keep your house safe even when you are away. There really is no need to become overly paranoid and invest in expensive security equipment, but rather use some rational common sense and use the following list to keep your property safe:

• Have someone come to your home while you’re away to remove flyers and newspapers from the gate, and to switch the lights on at night and off during the day.
• Use interior light timers to establish a pattern of occupancy.
• Use timers to activate a radio or television while away.
• Ask your security company to do drive-byes on a regular basis.
• Ask your neighbours to keep an eye on your property and to call you or your security company if they suspect anything is amiss.
• Don’t inform your domestic staff of how long you will be away.

As with anything in life, there are no guarantees. Criminals may still strike and break into your property while you are away, but the points in the list above will make it less likely to occur.

If you are not sure how to take a pro-active approach in protecting yourself from criminals, please contact us straight away and we will be happy to share some additional tips with you.