Homes at high risk of burglary whilst on holiday

Homes are at a high risk of burglary whilst owners are on holiday with the most burglary home insurance claims being made in June and August.

Research from Direct Line Home Insurance shows that 800,000 households have fallen foul of burglars whilst on holiday.

Clearly buying home insurance that covers your needs is vital but taking preventative measures before going on holiday is also a must.

As Andrew Lowe, Head of Home Insurance at Direct Line, comments ‘Burglars can pick up on various clues to establish whether a house is likely to be unoccupied, ranging from an unruly front lawn to newspaper deliveries or post clogging up the letter box area, or even by overhearing people discussing their upcoming holidays in public areas.’

Some suggestions include

• Make sure all doors and windows are locked properly
• Put on your burglar alarm
• If possible set lights to come on using a timer to give the appearance that people are in
• Ideally lock valuables away in a safe
• Ask a neighbour or friend to keep an eye on the property and if possible remove post from the door so that it is out of view
• Lock away things that could help a burglar gain entry to the house, ladders, tools etc
• Lock up garages, sheds and gates
• Keep your holiday dates private – or at least don’t discuss them in public places where they could be overheard by an opportunist burglar

Taking these basic steps could help ensure you aren’t burgled whilst on holiday with all the resulting stress, including the worry of claiming on your home insurance.