Holiday Home Security: Protect Your Property While You’re Away

Taking a break from the day-to-day bustle and going on holiday are things that we all look forward to. Moreover, one thing that can cause stress is worrying about the holiday home security. An unattended residence is considered an easy target by thieves.

Hence, it becomes crucial to follow the required steps to ensure that your home and everything in it is secured before you head out for your trip. In this article, we will explain some measures and steps to undertake to ensure home security when on holiday.

Why Holiday Home Security Matters?

Before traveling, it is crucial to ensure that the house is well-secured for the following reasons:

• Deter burglars: A house that is not occupied is usually a prime target for burglars. However, taking measures allows burglars the least chance of breaking into the house or stealing anything from it.
• Less worried: These measures enable you to rest well even when on holiday because you do not have to worry about your house.
• Avoid losses: Theft is not only a loss of property but also great damage to property. Closing windows and doors provide a barrier to access your house and inflicting damage.
• Control expenses: The cost of replacing the lost items and the cost of repairing damaged property can be huge. Adequate preventive measures can be very cheap in the long run.

To sum it all up, effective holiday home security offers safety, peace of mind, and even cost efficiency when you are away, thereby allowing you to maximize your vacation without being worried.

Top 10 Holiday Home Security Tips

When leaving for a vacation, there are some important things that you need to put in place. The most important one is to ensure vacation home security while you are not there. Here are the top 10 tips for home security while on vacation:

1. Choose a home security system

Getting a good home security system should be high on your list of priorities when you want to make sure that your home is protected from burglars and damage in case you are not there.

While these technologies are great though, you can go even further with a security system, with features like motion sensors, cameras that you can access from your phone anywhere, and mobile connectivity that allows you to monitor your home 24/7 and get notified of any strange activity.

Check out Reolink Holiday Sales for exclusive discounts on security cameras, video doorbells, and more!

2. Lock doors and windows

The most obvious step when securing your home for vacation is making sure all the entry points are locked. Make sure all exterior doors and windows are secured before you exit them. For better security, it’s also a good idea to think about installing deadbolts on exterior doors.

3. Check garage and fencing

Make sure the exterior doors and gates, including your garage or outside backyard door, are locked. If you have backyard fencing with loose boards or holes, secure them to keep an unwanted visitor out. Automatic garage door locks keep garage doors closed and locked.

4. Protect against power surges

Unplug unnecessary devices and appliances and plug all of them in surge protectors to prevent fires and damage to appliances and electronics while you’re away.

5. Set motion sensors and exterior lights

Motion-activated security lights and driveway alarms will spook intruders who get on your property. Place the lights and sensors in place to improve coverage.

6. Stop newspapers and mail

Stopping newspaper and mail deliveries prevents papers and mail from piling up outside your home, indicating that it’s unoccupied.

7. Don't make or socialize status updates

Resist posting on social media about leaving for vacation or checking in from your holiday destination. This alerts people that your home will be vacant.

8. Protect outdoor pipes

In cold weather, make sure exposed water pipes are properly insulated so they don’t freeze and burst while you’re away.

9. Don't leave spare keys outdoors

Never leave a spare set of keys outdoors for any reason. Burglars know all the common outdoor key hiding spots. Give your spare keys to a trusted neighbor instead.

10. Check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors

Before extended holidays, it’s wise to replace smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector batteries so that they remain functional. Checking that all detectors are working ensures your home remains safe in case of a fire or gas leak emergency.

Safety Tips for Hosting Holiday Parties at Home

If you plan to host parties at home while on vacation, here are some quick safety tips:

• Inform a trusted neighbor that you will have visitors so they can keep watch.
• Keep doors to restricted areas like bedrooms locked.
• Keep valuables and medications out of sight of guests.
• Avoid mentioning specifics on social media about party dates and locations.
• Make sure exterior lighting works to prevent accidents.
• Check ID proof if unknown people try to enter the party premises.
• Politely offer to arrange a ride for extremely intoxicated guests.

Essential Tools to Keep Home Security While on Holiday

Along with the general home security tips covered earlier, implementing some smart home devices can further bolster your home’s safety while on vacation. Here are some must-have gadgets:

1. Security cameras

Security cameras that record footage when motion or sound is detected can help identify burglars and criminal activity while you are away. Position cameras to cover entry points.

2. Video doorbells

Video doorbells with motion sensors and mobile connectivity allow you to see and speak with visitors at your doorstep remotely using your phone. This deters burglars from targeting the main entrance. If you need a beginner-friendly doorbell camera, check out the Reolink Video Doorbell (Battery). This 2K doorbell is totally wire-free and very easy to install.

3. Sensors and alarms

Installing glass break sensors, door/window sensors, water leak detectors, and smoke/CO alarms that can send mobile alerts even when you are halfway across the globe provides an extra layer of security and prevents catastrophic damage.

4. Motion-activated lights

Strategically placing motion sensor lights around the house leaves potential intruders with no hiding spots if they trespass onto your property.

5. Smart thermostat

A smart thermostat lets you regulate home temperatures remotely. This saves energy bills and prevents pipe damage from freezing temperatures while away during winter.

Best Security System for Vacation Home

The best security system for your vacation home is to consider it as one structure instead of treating it as a series of devices and alarms. Bundled kits such as Reolink RLK8-800B4 allow owners to optimize maximum protection for their homes.

Reolink Argus PT Ultra Kit

The Reolink Argus PT Ultra Kit offers a two-pack of wire-free 4K security cameras that enable you to wirelessly equip your home, office, pet house, or any property with four viewable areas for indoor and outdoor coverage.

Monitoring your vacation home or your loved one's home all day long, night and day, all year round is now a reality using the built-in spotlights, color night vision, two-way audio, solar charge capabilities, and local storage in the hub’s microSD card right from your mobile app.

It can be expandable to include more Reolink cameras for more of the areas you’d want to be covering. It can also detect people and vehicles by using reliable algorithms.

Reolink RLK8-800B4

If you’re looking for an eight-channel 4K security system for large vacation homes, the Reolink RLK8-800B4 is perfect with an included NVR and 2TB of storage pre-installed to record continuously.

You can add up to 8 Reolink security cameras to cover multiple areas of your property. Intelligent features like person detection, email alerts, and remote access via mobile app or client software provide robust monitoring and notifications even when away for extended periods.

FAQ

What is the best alarm for holiday home?

A monitored home security system with 24/7 professional monitoring via an alarm company is best for catching break-ins even when you are away on holiday. Cellular systems with backup internet and batteries provide reliable connectivity.

How to safeguard your home while on vacation?

Lock all doors/windows, set lights on timers, stop mail/paper delivery, ask a neighbor to watch your home, install security cameras to monitor remotely, and consider professionally installed systems for optimal protection.

What do police recommend for home security?

Police advise homeowners to have good locks and exterior lighting, trim bushes that block views, join a neighborhood, mark valuables with ID numbers, and use timing devisor lights/radios to make their homes seem occupied.

Conclusion

You shouldn’t worry about the safety of your unattended home while you go on vacation. Going on vacation should be relaxing and fun. By installing surveillance systems, you can be sure your property is well guarded when you’re away.

Do you have any other tips you implement, or what security systems do you trust to keep your home safe while you’re on holiday? To help more homeowners know how to protect their house while on vacation, share your thoughts and experience.