Our homes are our safe space and a place where we can retreat from the world. During the global pandemic and several extended periods of lockdown, the importance of comfort and privacy domestically has never been more pronounced.
Though we’ve been looking inwards and at our own four walls exclusively over the past year, with property TV shows consistently popular, it would seem we’re always keen to look through the keyhole of others’ places, too.
Nothing wrong with that, but this inquisitiveness runs deeper than turning on the tele for a peek. In a recent study carried out by VELUX window specialists, Burton Roofing, they found a whopping 81% of Brits would happily look into someone’s home if the windows or blinds are left open.
On the flip side, and particularly as we get older, we’re less inclined to care who’s looking in, with those aged over 65 most likely to bare all; over 60% stated they don’t close their curtains or blinds when changing. Woah! This took a different turn very suddenly…and we make no apologies about that.
25 -34 years olds – despite being the nosiest – are far more coy when it comes to changing, with just over a third keeping their blinds open.
Not only does our age apparently impact how bothered we are about home privacy, but it appears where we live dictates it, too. Geographically, Sheffield tops the list, with 71% of residents stating they change without shutting their curtains or blinds.
However, those above the border are more cautious, with 86% of Edinburgh residents stating they close their curtains or blinds every time – if only to keep the heat in!
Enough of the frivolity and voyeurism. Instead, a word of caution; Brian Davenport, Owner of The Solar Centre comments:
“Burglars will often scope out a property they’re thinking about targeting beforehand. Open blinds or curtains not only allows thieves to look for valuables goods inside your home, but it also allows them to study the layout of the property so they can figure out the best entry point, and their way around, should they gain access.”
Lockdown has lifted and warmer weather is on the approach. With it, a season of wide open windows and unoccupied houses beckons. To keep your home safe and secure, whether you’re trying to catch some rays through an open window or you’re down at the beach, here are 5 tips for keeping your home safe during Summer holidays.
GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT SOMEONE’S HOME
The old ‘leave a light on for a fortnight’ tip doesn’t work so well when the sun remains steadfastly up late into the evening, but there are still measures you can take to imply someone is home even when you’re on holiday.
Try to do so in a way which doesn’t use excessive electricity – we have an environment to think of, after all. The most common way for a burglar to evaluate your home prior to attempting a break-in is through ground floor windows or glass panelled doors. Firstly, make sure they’re locked tightly and securely prior to going on holiday. After that, it’s all a matter of leaving your home looking a little ‘lived in’ while you’re away.
Though no one wants to return from holiday to an untidy house, a big giveaway that the home is unoccupied is that it’s been left spotless for days. Instead, consider leaving the remnants of breakfast out (the mugs and cereal bowls – not the half finished croissant) to suggest people are around. Perhaps enhance the impression of activity by leaving the newspaper opened on the kitchen table – though it might be wise to obscure any obvious signs that it’s last week’s news!
A totally modern, totally nifty trick is to remotely play the sound of a dog barking through your smart stereo from time to time, controlled from afar via your smartphone.
You can also avoid the visual impression that the house is unoccupied in other ways…
AVOID DOORSTEP PILEUPS
Once upon a time, holidaying homeowners were most concerned by a collection of full milk bottles on the doorstep revealing that they were out. Of course, this advice could easily be modernised by applying the same logic to Amazon deliveries, – a build-up of stuff on your doorstep indicates either an extremely lazy resident lives here, a decomposing body lies inside, or more likely, no one is present.
As such, don’t order items from Amazon to arrive while you’re away – several sitting on the doorstep or piled up in the postbox will be an immediate giveaway that you’re elsewhere. You should also give directions for packages arriving from the Royal Mail, ASOS et al, to be placed in a secure, hidden location for the same reason.
DON’T SHARE YOUR LOCATION PUBLICLY
We understand that you’re keen to share snaps of your staycation to all your followers, but unless you’re scrupulous about your privacy settings, some of your social media accounts will likely be accessible to every burglar and his dog.
As such, you should be cautious about revealing (or even tagging) your exact location in photos you publish online, as you’ll be alerting the world to the fact that your house is unoccupied if you do so. Just as you can harness the power of tech to keep your house safer, so can would-be burglars use it to their advantage, too. Remember that.
INSTALL SMART CCTV
Once the preserve of mafia bosses on the run from the law, domestic CCTV has gone mainstream, and recently, it’s also turned rather intelligent.
Installing cameras inside and out which can be monitored through your smartphone acts as both a deterrent and a way to keep your home safer. The best smart CCTV systems will send you alerts when there’s been a potential intruder, which doesn’t sound like much of a holiday for you, but may bring peace of mind, nonetheless.
Some smart CCTV systems can be aligned with motion sensor activated lights, enabling lights to come on around the home whenever a person is captured approaching the house. Or, of course, you could row back on the paranoia. Everything will be ok.
EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Enlisting the help of friendly neighbours to keep their peepers on proceedings in your absence is a good way of achieving a certain serenity while you’re away, as they can keep you posted on goings on. Within reason, of course; ‘house still not burgled’ isn’t a necessary daily update while you’re tanning by the pool. Their presence though, for instance in your garden doing a bit of watering, can act as a deterrent to would be burglars, as well as a source of supervision. Remember to give your neighbour a spare set of keys just in case they need access to the house.
If you’d rather not hand out a spare, consider upgrading your home security system with a smart lock door. These clever locks allow you to unlock the door remotely, using your smartphone from the comfort of your sun lounger. You can grant temporary access to your neighbours with expiring codes or set access codes for specific days and times.