7 ways to keep your home safe from burglars if you're going away over New Year

Over the festive season there's often a lot parcel deliveries as we order presents or bargains from the sales and it's a time of year many of us spend travelling to see friends and family, leaving our homes empty for periods of time. So, it's a good idea to be mindful about keeping your home safe and think about how to prevent burglary.

Research by Toolstation found that the months between October and January are most common for burglaries. Therefore it's vital to keep your house safe over new year and the holidays.

'Very few burglars are opportunists; instead, they may be regularly scanning and looking for weakness to capitalise on. It is therefore crucial never to give a burglar an opportunity to strike.' Leigh Barnes, from Jacksons Fencing

We've rounded up some expert advice to keep your home safe from burglars if you're away over the New Year period.

1. Set lights on a timer

If your home looks empty, it can make it more of a target for burglars, so adding a few deterrents like leaving lights on or putting them on a timer can make it harder for someone to know if anyone is home.

'Smart plugs connect your appliances or lights to your home Wi-Fi network and can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app or scheduled times to turn off and on,' advises Micheal Fernandes, product engineer at TP-Link.

'You can use these to turn devices on while you’re away, creating the illusion of activity in your home. Randomise the timing for switching devices on and off, to enhance the illusion that your home is occupied even further – especially if you’re away for an extended period.'

Rather than leaving lights on all the time, Rachel Morris of 4lite recommends taking a more random approach. 'Lights left on all the time, or on a scheduled timer might not do much to deter potential intruders, but smart lighting can help an empty home look occupied, so opportunists might think again before breaking in.'

2. Invest in a video doorbell

Over the last few years, video doorbells have gained in popularity. Not only are they great for checking on deliveries, they let you monitor any suspicious activity on your property and can put off potential burglars.

'It's a good idea to have a video doorbell and to configure it to alert you any time someone approaches the door,' advises Chris Hauk, consumer privacy advocate at Pixel Privacy 'I also strongly recommend having video cameras stationed in multiple spots around the outside of your home, especially in blind spots that cannot be seen from the street or from neighbours’ homes.'

When it comes to parcel deliveries, video doorbells also allow you to talk to delivery drivers, so you can let them know a safe place to leave your package.

'Parcel theft is also on the rise and with the Boxing Day and January sales in full swing, video doorbells come in very handy – you can talk to the delivery driver via the two-way talk function, can keep an eye on where the parcel is left if you aren’t home and deter porch pirates,' explains Jonathan Wall VP, managing director of SimpliSafe UK. 'Make sure you have notifications turned on so you can capture any movement that occurs outside your home and see signs of potential trouble as soon as they occur.'

3. Hook up some security lights

Motion detection lights are another great piece of kit to have as part of your home security system and can quickly alert you to any movement outside your property.

'Criminals like to work anonymously and stay out of sight, so security lights are a good deterrent when you are not at home. When linked to motion or infrared sensors, your lights will activate with movement or a heat signature,' advises Alison Peckham, home security expert at MyJobQuote.co.uk. 'This provides an alert that there is someone on or around your property. Even if you are not home to see that the security lights have been activated, the lights are often enough to scare off opportunist thieves.'

Alison also recommends having extra protections in place as well to maximise security. 'However, if someone is watching your home over a period of time, they may realise that the property is vacant. Ask a friend or neighbour to call around at irregular intervals to check your home as an extra precaution.'

4. Avoid posting on social media

In the excitement of Christmas and New Year, many of us want to share key moments on social media, but it's good to exercise a little caution. 'Social media is a great way to connect, but sharing your location in real-time can pose security risks,' advises Michael.

'While it’s hard, try avoiding tagging your location or sharing live updates if you're away this Christmas.' It's also good practice to avoid posting about any valuables as this can alert thieves to what you have at home.

5. Check locks before leaving the house

With the busyness of the holidays, it can be easy to forget about locking windows and doors, especially if you have friends or relatives staying. 'It might sound obvious, but it’s always a good idea to go around the house and just check that you’ve locked all your windows and doors properly before you head out,' advises Rachael Munby, chief marketing officer at Anglian Home Improvements.

6. Make your home look lived in

Another way to make it look like someone is home is by ensuring there is a car on your driveway (if you have one). 'Maintaining a driveway presence is great way to reduce the risk of a security breach,' advises David Joyson, chief customer officer at specialist home insurance provider, Homeprotect.

'Give the illusion that someone is home by making sure any cars that you are not using are in the driveway or ask a neighbour if they will occasionally park there if you are away for a prolonged period.'

7. Hide valuables and gift packaging

It's also a good idea to make sure any packaging that shows expensive products is carefully disposed of rather than leaving it in your recycling bin as this can alert burglars to any expensive items you may have at home.

'Make sure that you don’t put gift packaging boxes out for recycling or leave them sticking out of your bin, as thieves will notice. Instead, store boxes out of sight until you can dispose of them at a local recycling site.' advises David.

While keeping any valuable hidden away and out of sight of windows, is also good home security practice.

Anthony Mellor, head of insurer relations at Swinton Home Insurance advises: 'Always keep your valuables out of sight, even if your home is secure. This is especially important as we approach the festive season. Christmas shopping can make your home a target for burglars, so make sure you keep any gifts and packages hidden away.'

FAQs

How should you leave your home when you go on holiday?

'As soon as your home is empty it has one less barrier of security and therefore becomes more of a target to burglars. It’s therefore crucial to make your home look as occupied as possible when you go on holiday,' explains Sam Garbutt, security lighting expert at LED & Power.

'There are some age-old methods of making your home seem occupied, for example, using a timer lighting system, making noise using a timer radio or speaker and leaving a car on the driveway. These small adjustments can be enough to ward burglars off and prevent your home from being broken into.'

Are there more burglaries at New Year's?

'During the New Year period many homeowners go on holiday, visit family and friends or spend their evenings out of the house. When combining this with the dark evenings it makes it the ideal time for thieves to target unoccupied homes,' explains Alwyn Evershed, security expert at Metador.

'In addition, with Christmas just gone it leaves an abundance of new gifts and valuable items lying around the home. This can leave houses extremely vulnerable to break-ins, so it's no surprise that the rate of burglaries often increases during this period. I therefore recommend that homeowners are extra vigilant around Christmas and New Years and ensure that they have taken the time to invest in their security systems to prevent burglaries.'