Summer is the time of year when our homes are often empty and targeted by burglars. Many of our clients move to their second residence in the countryside or on the beach to enjoy the summer holidays and leave their flats empty. Summer is the time of the year in which a greater number of thefts are registered and the longer the time we are away from our flat, the greater the risk that our home will be robbed.
As property managers we want to give you some basic safety tips so that your home remains safe and secure from thieves during your vacation. They are simple tips that will make the work of thieves a little more difficult and that may be why your apartment is safe and you are freed from having a bad drink when you return from vacation.
1.- Check doors and windows before going on vacation.
In case of theft in your house, the doors and, above all, the windows are the main access route for the robbers. To avoid break-ins at home during the summer, it is advisable to check the doors and windows well to verify that all the closures are correct. If you live on a ground floor, it is advisable to leave all the blinds closed, especially those that block the weakest windows.
2.- Do not publish information about your vacations on social networks.
Social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram are a great help for thieves. From there they can find out where we are, for how long and if we’ll be back soon. If we publish photos or messages on social networks before or during our vacations, we will be giving thieves clues about when they can break into our house to steal.
3.- Install an alarm and protection system in your home.
A good protection system for our house during the holidays is the installation of a burglar alarm . As property managers in Elche, Gran Alacant and Ciudad Quesada we know the market and we can advise you when choosing the best option for your home. Ask us.
4.- Ask your neighbors for help.
It is a pity that with the passage of time little by little we have lost the relationship with our neighbors. Building a strong and collaborative community of neighbors can be very beneficial for everyone , and the case of domestic burglary prevention is no exception. Leaving a house key to a trusted neighbor so that every 2 or 3 days they can raise the blinds, turn on the lights, draw the curtains and give some life to the house is the best way to appear that the house is still inhabited. You can also lend us a hand by watering the plants, feeding the cat or the fish and checking that everything is going well. The saying ‘today for you tomorrow for me’ is applicable in this case. If you are lucky enough to have a trusted neighbor, talk to him, surely he does not mind giving you a hand.
5.- Use a light timer.
If you are not lucky enough to have a neighbor in your community of owners who does it for you, for less than €5 you can buy a light timer in any superstore or electronics store. With a timer you can program 1 lamp to come on for a few hours a day. So it will seem that there is life inside your house even if there is no one. Plus, you can use it the next time you go on vacation. Do not forget to test it a few days before to make sure you have configured it correctly.
6.- Program an automatic radio alarm clock so that it turns on by itself.
Surely the alarm clock at home has wake up function with radio . You can use this option to automatically play the radio in the middle of the morning or in the afternoon. You will get to your house of sound and music even if there is no one, so it will seem that someone is inhabiting the house in your absence.
7.- Leave clothes hanging out in sight.
Other good trick to trick thieves To make it look like we’re still living at home and thus avoid theft in our home is to leave clothes hanging. It is a task that we do regularly and that shows that we will pick it up soon. Lay out clothes that you no longer use and that nothing will happen if they are damaged by the sun or the rain. A full clothesline gives the feeling of domestic work, of an inhabited house and that scares away thieves.
8.- Dogs are the best anti-theft systems.
If you live in a house with a garden you should consider having a dog to protect it. Often the houses that have a guard dog are the only ones that are spared waves of robberies in summer . It will be hard to say goodbye to your dog for a few days, but your house will be safe from thieves thanks to its defense.
9.- Record a message on your answering machine that says you’ll be right back.
Burglars often telephone houses before robbing. If nobody answers, they will have one more clue to know that the house is empty. A trick to avoid this vulnerability is to leave a message on the answering machine saying that you will be right back. You can too forward calls to your mobile so you can always answer the call, even if you’re not at home.
10.- Just in case, take out insurance.
If all the precautions you have taken fail, it is always a relief to have home insurance that protects you in case of theft in your home. In AF gestifinc we are experts in insurance and, thanks to our experience as Property managers in Elche, Gran Alacant and Ciudad Quesada We can advise you to set up your insurance in the best possible way in case you ever have to go to it. In the end, an annual payment for insurance can mean a big savings on your home .
As administrators of estates in Elche, in AF gestifinc We care about your safety and that of your home . That is why we hope that these simple tips protect your home even more during your summer vacations.
AF gestifinc, close to you.
