How to secure your home before going on holiday

Start planning a fortnight before you go

Most burglaries are opportunist. A house that looks empty for ten days is a far easier target than one that looks like somebody is simply out at work. The good news is that creating that impression takes a couple of hours of preparation, not a fortune, and the best time to do it is a fortnight before you leave. That gives you time to arrange a post hold, speak to a neighbour, and test your timers so you are not fiddling with plug sockets at midnight the night before your flight.

Think of it as three jobs: make the house look lived in, make it genuinely hard to get into, and make sure somebody trustworthy is keeping half an eye on it.

Create the appearance of a lived-in home

Light is the single most effective tool you have. A dark house night after night is a clear signal, and a single hall light blazing for two weeks is nearly as obvious. Timers are the answer. Simple mechanical plug-in timers cost a few pounds, and smart plugs let you vary the schedule from your phone.

• Set at least two lamps in different rooms rather than one central light — a bedroom and a living room works well.
• Stagger the on and off times so they shift slightly each day rather than clicking on at exactly 7pm.
• Put a radio on a timer too, tuned to a speech station at low volume. A murmur of voices through a window is surprisingly convincing.
• Leave curtains and blinds partly open rather than fully closed. Closed curtains at 9am for a fortnight is a giveaway.
• Ask a neighbour to move your wheelie bin out and back on collection day. A bin left standing at the kerb for a fortnight tells everyone the house is empty.
• If you normally park on the drive, ask a neighbour whether they would mind parking there for a few days. A car on the drive is a strong deterrent.

Ask a trusted neighbour to check the property

This is the most valuable thing you can arrange, and most neighbours are glad to help — especially if you offer to do the same for them. Be specific about what you would like rather than leaving it vague.

• Give them your mobile number, your dates away, and a contact for anyone who might legitimately need access.
• Ask them to pop in every few days to open and close curtains, water plants and move any post off the doormat.
• Leave a spare key with them rather than under a plant pot, inside a fake stone, or in a key safe on an obvious wall. Those hiding places are well known.
• Ask them to note anything odd — a van parked outside for hours, someone knocking on doors, a gate left open — and to call you rather than confront anyone.

Cancel deliveries and pause the post

A pile of post on the mat, visible through the glass, is one of the clearest signs that nobody is home. You can arrange for your post to be held at your local delivery office for the duration of your trip, and it is usually free or very cheap. Do it at least a week in advance.

Then work through everything else that arrives on a schedule: supermarket deliveries, milk, newspapers, subscription boxes, and any regular parcel service. Cancel or pause each one. If you have ordered something that might arrive while you are away, ask the retailer to delay dispatch or have it delivered to a neighbour instead.

Lock, check and secure every access point

Before you leave, walk the property as though you were trying to break in. Most intruders enter through a door or an upstairs window reached by a ladder or bin, so pay attention to the obvious routes.

• Check all windows and doors, including the small ones — bathroom windows, utility rooms, and any door with a cat flap.
• Remove keys from locks that are within reach of a letterbox or a pane of glass. A key left in a euro cylinder can be turned from outside.
• Fit and use a five-lever mortice deadlock or a British Standard cylinder on external doors, and lock the back gate.
• Secure sheds and garages with a good padlock, and lock away ladders, tools and bikes. Don't leave out anything that could be used to climb or to force a window.
• Set the burglar alarm if you have one, and let your monitoring company or keyholder know you are away.
• Consider a light on a sensor over the back door and a timer inside, so anyone approaching at night is seen and heard.

Say less online, and think about your return

Resist the temptation to post a countdown, a boarding pass photo or a beach selfie while you are away. Post the pictures when you get home. It is also worth checking that your social profiles are not publicly visible, and that your out-of-office reply does not announce that your house is empty.

The last part of personal safety is the journey home. Arriving back late at night after a long flight, tired and loaded with luggage, is exactly when people feel vulnerable. Ask a neighbour to leave a porch light and a hall lamp on for your return, have your keys in your hand before the taxi pulls up rather than rummaging on the doorstep, and keep your phone charged. If you arrive to find a window open, a door ajar or anything that does not look right, do not go inside. Step away, ring 999, and wait somewhere safe and well lit until help arrives.

Do those few things, and you can enjoy your holiday knowing the house is doing a convincing impression of being occupied.