Going on holiday shouldn’t bring extra stress, especially if you’re heading abroad for an extended period.
Here the team at Adrian Flux offer some advice on how to take the stress out of planning an extended holiday and how you can ensure your home is safe and protected whilst you’re away.
How to keep your home secure while on holiday
When going on holiday, there are a number of ways you can keep your home as safe as possible to deter any would-be intruders, keeping your valuables and house safe.
Get a friend to check your home regularly
Arrange for someone to check on your home repeatedly. They should collect the mail and make sure there are no tell-tale signs that you are not at home, such as junk mail left on the doorstep or protruding from the letter box.
If they are a very close friend you could even get them to cut the grass, deadhead the roses and ensure the rest of the garden is in good order.
Fit a video doorbell
Having a video doorbell, such as Ring, not only allows you to check who is at your door or on your premises from the UK, but further afield too. This means you can be relaxing on a sunlounger and see who has entered your property, or who has stopped outside.
Video doorbells naturally act as a deterrent, and having one of these attached to your home can save you money on your home insurance.
The video function also means you have proof of a break-in, should the worst happen, and you can report the footage to the police.
Install a security camera or security lights
Home security cameras and lights are designed to help protect your home from thieves. Cameras are similar to video doorbells in that they add a layer of security to your home and can help reduce your home insurance.
Security lights illuminate the outside of your property and react to movement thanks to their motion sensors. These can be turned on or off using an app on your smartphone, and create the illusion that someone is home doing this manually, whilst you are away.
If there is any suspicious activity outside your house, make sure you report it to the appropriate authorities.
Use the eyes and ears of your neighbours
Let your local Neighbourhood Watch group know you will be away for an extended period, and they will keep an eye on your home. You can use this link to find your local neighbourhood watch.
Get the right home insurance cover
Even though you are getting a friend to check on your property, your insurer will probably still deem it unoccupied if you are away from it for 30 days or more.
In those circumstances, they will view your home as being at a greater risk of burglary, vandalism and a higher chance of water escaping (especially in the winter), and you will need to arrange extended unoccupancy on your policy if you are going away for longer than the standard 30 days.
It’s worth checking your current home insurance policy to see if your home is required to have inspections, in addition to heating requirements such as draining down or whether you need to leave your heating on to ensure your home is covered whilst you’re away.
Read our blog to find out how to protect your home while you are away and in which other circumstances you may need to get unoccupied insurance cover.
Set an automatic timer so the lights come on regularly
You can buy a plug socket timer for under a tenner. Invest in a couple of them and position them in different parts of the house. You can set them so different lights come on at different times, and it will give the impression that the home is being lived in as normal. Make sure that if it’s winter, you programme your lights so they come on when it starts getting dark.
Preparing your home for an extended holiday abroad
When going on holiday for an extended period of time, there are a few things you will need to do before you set off to another country.
Turn off your utilities
Turning your utilities off is a smart way to make sure there are no mishaps when you return, such as an escape of water or frozen pipes and reduces the risk of fire.
It can also save you money on your energy bills, as you will not be using needless power to power anything whilst you’re away.
Before doing so, it’s advised you follow these tips for keeping your home safe before you leave it unoccupied.
Keep your windows and doors securely shut
While it may seem a good idea to let fresh air into your house by leaving the windows open, you should never do so.
Experienced burglars will be able to get into your home through your cracked windows or any door left on its hinge and steal any possessions they want. Doing this can also invalidate your insurance policy.
Consider renting your home on Airbnb
If you’re going away for an extended period of time, you may wish to make some extra cash by renting out your home on a site such as Airbnb.
Listing a property is super easy; however, you will need to check with your local authorities if short-term rentals are permitted in your area.
However, before listing a property on Airbnb there will be a number of ways you need to prepare your home before considering renting it out whilst you’re on holiday.
What do you need to take on holiday with you?
Ensure your passport is valid
Keeping your passport up to date is one of those life admin jobs that is easy to forget.
As a general rule of thumb, you will need at least six months on your passport before you travel abroad. That means, if you are going on a three-month holiday, your passport will need to have nine months’ validity.
However, the actual length of validity varies from country to country, so check the government website for the latest passport advice.
Get a health card for your holiday
If you are travelling abroad, you should carry a UK Global Health Insurance Card. The card ensures the rights of UK residents to access free emergency and necessary medical care when travelling within the EU.
Get the right holiday insurance
When you are travelling independently, it’s quite easy to forget something like travel insurance. That would be a big mistake.
Adrian Flux’s flexible travel insurance is great value for money and can cover you for up to £15,000,000 worth of emergency medical treatment, depending on the level of cover taken out.
Check bank cards are up to date
It will be pretty disastrous on your extended break if you are left high and dry with no access to your cash. Ensure all your bank and credit cards are up to date. Order new cards now if they will expire before the scheduled end of your holiday.
Keep in touch while on your extended holiday
Leave an emergency phone number and email address with at least one neighbour so they can contact and alert you if something goes wrong at home. The call, if it comes, doesn’t need to ruin your holiday, but it will mean you can stay in control when it comes to putting things right.
Don’t forget your pet at holiday time
If you are planning to take the family dog with you on your extended trip, don’t forget you will need to get a pet passport or an animal health certificate.
Remember, there are different rules for travelling with your pet to an EU country or Northern Ireland and for taking your pet to a non-EU country.
If your furry friend is going to miss out on the trip, you’ll have to get him booked into a recommended dog kennel or billeted with a friend or family member.
Ensure you have all the medication you will need
Most doctors will only prescribe medication to cover you for a fortnight or one month at the most. That’s no good if you will be abroad for three months!
Explain your plans to your GP so you can take extra prescription medication away with you to keep you fit and healthy.
While you’re at it, top up your first aid box. We hope you won’t need it, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Do I need unoccupied home insurance?
If you’re leaving your main home for over 30 days, you will likely need to inform your broker; luckily, Adrian Flux is on hand to help with specialist cover such as unoccupied home insurance.
We offer competitive rates and can tailor an insurance policy to your exact needs. For our best rates, call 0800 369 8590or book a callback at a time that works for you.
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