Few things can ruin a relaxing holiday faster than nagging worries about the home you've left behind. Imagine lounging on a pristine beach in the Maldives, only for your mind to drift anxiously to whether you properly locked the back door. This common experience underscores a widespread concern: recent research indicates that more than half of individuals fret about security when they are away, with car safety and parcel theft ranking among the top anxieties.
Modern Security Solutions and Simple Steps
Fortunately, we live in an era where effective home security equipment is increasingly accessible. Many homeowners now utilise devices like Ring doorbells and cameras, which allow remote monitoring of arrivals and departures. Beyond investing in modern technology, there are numerous straightforward and affordable measures you can implement to enhance your home's safety. Here, three leading home security specialists reveal their top recommendations.
Illuminate Dark Areas Around Your Property
"The most vulnerable points of a home are often the easiest to overlook, such as side gates, rear entrances, ground-floor windows, garages, and concealed access paths," explains Alex Parker-Walklate, Chief Insurance Officer at Intelligent Insurance. "Poorly lit, dark zones around your property can offer burglars convenient hiding spots, enabling them to approach undetected."
Similarly, overgrown hedges, shrubs, or trees near windows and doors can provide cover for potential intruders. Trimming vegetation and installing motion-sensor lighting outdoors improves exterior visibility and acts as a deterrent. Dave Ward, Ring's UK & International Managing Director, advises: "A Floodlight or Spotlight Camera can simultaneously trigger motion, start recording, and flood the area with light. Most intruders dislike being suddenly illuminated, making this an effective deterrent that often prevents incidents before they begin."
Layer Your Security Measures
"Layering up" on deterrents is a smart strategy for protecting your home from burglaries, says Sebastian Allen, a security expert at Banham. "At a minimum, we recommend professionally fitted patented locks, a monitored burglar alarm, and good external lighting around the property," he notes. "Adding a secure safe for valuables, a CCTV system covering key access points, grilles, and a reinforced security door can provide further layers of meaningful protection."
Secure Your Car Key Fobs
Advances in car technology, while convenient, have introduced new vulnerabilities. "An emerging risk is the increase in relay attacks on keyless cars," Allen warns. "Criminals use signal amplifying devices to capture the signal from a key fob inside the home, allowing them to unlock and steal a vehicle parked outside without any visible signs of forced entry. To reduce this threat, keep key fobs in a signal-blocking pouch and store them away from doors and windows."
Set Up Indoor Lights When Away
Smart plugs for indoor lamps, controlled via apps like Alexa, are a "smart and effective deterrent," according to Ward. However, it is crucial to avoid predictable routines. "Having predictable routines hinders your security more than people think, as repetitive lighting timers going on and off at the same time, in the same rooms every night, can tip-off burglars that a property is empty," Parker-Walklate cautions. "Using various timers, smart lighting, and motion sensors can help vary light routines, creating the appearance of someone being home."
Always Lock Your Side Gate
"Side gates and fencing are a weak spot, and leaving side gates open, unlocked, or having low fences can give intruders easy, unseen access to your doors or windows, especially at the side or rear of the property," Parker-Walklate emphasises. "Securing gates with sturdy locks and ensuring fencing is high and well-maintained makes access significantly more difficult and reduces the likelihood of someone targeting your home in the first place."
Protect Your Parcels
"Parcel theft has become a genuinely significant issue as online shopping has grown, and if you let parcels and mail accumulate on your doorstep, it can signal that nobody's home, making you a prime target for 'porch pirates'," says Parker-Walklate. "You can avoid this by arranging for deliveries to be collected by a neighbour, using parcel lockers, or pausing scheduled deliveries until you are back home."
Utilise Modern Camera Equipment
Gone are the days of fake CCTV cameras; today's systems offer advanced features. "The change in home security over the years has been enormous," Ward observes. "We've gone from grainy footage to Retinal Vision 4K where you can actually zoom in, recognise a face incredibly clearly, or see something at the end of the drive."
He adds: "The real game-changer has been AI. Your camera can now tell the difference between a person, a vehicle, and a package, and you'll get detailed notifications like 'A person is walking up the steps with a brown dog' or 'Two people are peering into a blue car in the driveway.' Before you've even opened the app, you'll know whether it's something urgent or something innocent, like garden wildlife. That context matters enormously when you're trying to decide if you need to act."
Avoid Common Mistakes
"The mistakes we see most often are usually small oversights that seem innocuous, but can inadvertently put you at high risk," says Parker-Walklate. "Hiding a spare key under the doormat or in a flowerpot is still incredibly common, but if you've thought of that idea, chances are an intruder has too, and if there's no sign of forced entry after a break-in, leaving a key in an obvious place can actually complicate an insurance claim."
"A better option is to leave a spare with someone you trust, or use a secure lockbox with a code known only to you and a trusted neighbour," Allen suggests. "If you're going away then while you're at it ask that neighbour to keep an eye on the property and take in any post or parcels, as a pile-up on the doorstep is one of the clearest signals that a home is empty."
Ward adds: "The biggest risk factors are most often the basics - unsecured doors and windows, garages left open, valuables visible from outside, and a lack of security monitoring such as cameras or an alarm."
Ensure Compliance with Insurance Requirements
Insurance expert Parker-Walklate notes: "Some policies require specific security features such as deadlocks, burglar alarms, or secure windows, so if these are missing or not properly maintained should the worst occur, it could affect your payout. Unsecured outbuildings are consistently overlooked, but if a tool, bike, or BBQ is stolen from an unlocked shed, insurers may not pay out. Locks are your first line of defence, and your policy expects them to be in place, so treat your outbuildings' security just as you would your home."
Allen advises: "Check in with your insurer before any extended absence. Most policies have conditions around unoccupied properties, often as few as 30 consecutive days, and if you haven't notified them and something goes wrong, it could affect your claim. A quick call before you travel costs nothing and could save a great deal of stress on your return."
Delay Social Media Posts About Your Holiday
In our always-connected world, the temptation to post holiday updates in real-time is strong, but this can be risky. "Posting real-time travel updates can signal to opportunistic burglars that your home is empty," Parker-Walklate warns. "Instead, save the holiday snaps for after you return and keep your location data private. It's worth checking your children's accounts as well, or setting rules on what they can and can't post."
Secure Your Home Office Setup
"The work from home boom has created vulnerabilities, as many people now have home offices filled with pricey tech and specialist gear, from dual monitors and 3D printers to photography or podcasting equipment," Allen points out. "These are high-value items that can be extremely tempting to burglars, so it is important to keep them out of sight from windows, avoid advertising purchases on social media, and consider additional security such as window locks, alarms, or smart cameras."
He continues: "It's not only equipment that poses a risk. People running side businesses from home and storing stock on site may also attract unwanted attention, so keeping deliveries discreet, storing goods away from visible areas, and reviewing your insurance cover can help reduce both the likelihood and the impact of a break-in."
Conceal Valuables from View
"Visible valuables are an invitation, as when you leave laptops, TVs, and other items in plain sight from street-facing windows, burglars could be tempted to return when no one's home - or worse, see it as an opportune moment for a smash and grab," Parker-Walklate cautions.
Be Wary of Scams Targeting Empty Homes
"There has been a rise in AI-assisted scams targeting homeowners," Allen reveals. "These can include fake delivery notifications or courier messages sent to confirm whether a property is occupied, as well as convincing emails or calls from individuals posing as broadband providers, utility companies, or even local tradespeople asking about home access, alarm systems, or planned time away. Because these tactics are designed to gather small but useful details, being cautious about what information is shared and verifying unexpected contact through official channels can help prevent your home from being profiled as an easy target."
Inspect and Upgrade Your Locks
"Upgrading to British Standard locks specifically, BS3621 for doors and PAS 24 for windows, is widely accepted by insurers as an effective deterrent and can be especially important for ground-floor access points," says Allen. Before departing on holiday, conduct a thorough inspection. "Do a thorough walk-around, checking every door and window, including upstairs, and don't forget outbuildings, sheds, garages, and gates. It sounds obvious, but in the rush of packing and getting out the door, it's surprisingly easy to miss something," he advises. "Make sure sheds and garages have proper locks, not just a basic padlock."
Maintain Your Security Systems
"The key point is that security only works if it's actually maintained," Allen stresses. "An alarm with a flat battery or a lock you haven't checked in years won't provide real protection, and insurers will want evidence of upkeep if you ever need to make a claim. Make sure to test alarms regularly, replacing batteries and updating codes as needed."
