6 steps to help protect your home when you’re away

Keeping your home safe while you’re away on holiday

Going on holiday is a great way to relax and take a break from your daily work life or chores. But when you leave your home empty, it can be at risk of things like break-ins, water leaks, or other unexpected problems.

To keep your home safe and avoid issues with your home insurance, should you need to make a claim, it's important to take steps to secure it. In this article, we'll look at easy and practical ways to protect your home while you're away.

1. Make your home look occupied

Criminals often target houses that look unoccupied, so one of the easiest ways to deter burglars is to make it appear someone’s home.

Plug lamps or other electronics into timer switches to create the illusion of activity. It’s best to do this with LED lights as they’re safer and more energy efficient.

Smart plugs and switches make setting timers easier than ever. You can vary the time devices turn on and off, so it’s not obvious they’re automated. You can even control them remotely from your smartphone.

Avoid other obvious signs of absence, too. For instance, don’t leave bins out long after collection day or allow newspapers and mail to pile up.

By giving the impression that someone is home, you make your property less attractive to potential thieves.

2. Call on trusted help

There’s no better way to give the impression your home’s occupied than have someone you trust visit it regularly.

A good place to start is to ask friends, family or a neighbour you know well: They can check in, collect your mail, feed pets, water plants, open and close curtains, and park their car in your driveway. 

You could also check if your street has a local WhatsApp or social messaging group, so collectively they can keep an eye on things. Or see if there’s a local neighbourhood watch group you can join, who can be extra watchful while you’re away.

3. Secure your home

Before you leave, make sure all doors and windows are locked. Upgrade to strong locks for extra safety and remember to lock upstairs windows too. Adding a security bar can help with sliding doors or older windows. Double check everything before you go.

Modern technology can help keep your home safe. A home security system can ward off burglars and alert you to problems. Smart security cameras let you watch your home from your phone, and some have motion detection and two-way audio. Make sure your burglar alarm works and consider getting a video doorbell for alerts when someone is at your door.

Some insurance companies give discounts for homes with security systems, so check with yours.

For more details, read our guide on home security.

4. Manage your utilities and appliances

It’s also important to reduce the risk of accidents, like water leaks or electrical fires, when you go away. If you don’t take suitable precautions, your home insurance may not cover them.

You can reduce these risks by taking a few important steps with your utilities and appliances.

• Turn off the water supply: Shutting off the mains water valve can prevent leaks while you’re away. If this isn’t possible, having someone check your home periodically can help spot any issues early
• Unplug non-essential devices: Or, at the very least, turn off plug sockets at their switch. This reduces the risk of electrical fires and also saves energy
• Set your thermostat: If you’re going away in winter, keep the heating on low. This will help prevent pipes from freezing in cold weather, without keeping an empty home too warm

Small precautions can prevent costly damage and give you peace of mind while on holiday.

5. Tell your insurance provider

Many home insurance policies have specific conditions about leaving your property unoccupied. If you’re away from home for longer than your insurer covers (for Post Office policies, it’s 60 consecutive days), you might need to tell them. They may add endorsements or remove parts of your cover. Check your policy to for their conditions.

• Check your policy: Read the fine print to ensure you comply with any requirements for unoccupied homes
• Secure valuables: Store expensive items like jewellery, electronics, or important documents in a safe
• Update your cover if needed: If you've recently made renovations or bought high-value items, let your insurer know so they can be included in your policy

Make sure you're clear on your insurer's policy terms and conditions. Failing to follow them could invalidate your cover in the event of a claim.

6. Be careful on social media

Protecting your privacy online is an important part of keeping your physical property safe, too. While sharing your latest adventures on social media may seem harmless, it can alert potential burglars that your home is empty. Here are some things to keep in mind.

• Avoid posting holiday updates: Wait until after you’ve returned home to share them
• Adjust your privacy settings: This can help limit who can see your posts and personal information
• Keep an eye on tagging: Make sure friends don’t unintentionally reveal that you aren’t at home

How all this might affect your home insurance

Your approach to the safety of your home while you’re away might also have an impact on your home insurance.

• Empty home rules: As we’ve already mentioned, some insurers have rules about how long you can leave your home empty without telling them. If it’s empty too long, they might not pay for theft or damage
• Theft or damage claims: Insurance might not pay out for losses if you leave doors or windows unlocked
• Security discounts: Homes with good security, like alarms or cameras, might get cheaper insurance. Check with your insurance company

Taking steps to keep your home safe can help make sure your insurance stays valid and you can get money back if something goes wrong.

Remember, as well as taking steps to protect your home it's important to keep up regular maintenance on it too. If you don't, your insurance may not pay out if damage happens that results from poor upkeep, whether that happens while you're at home or away.

Does travel insurance cover break-ins while away?

Travel insurance won’t provide cover if someone breaks into your home while you're away. But, if that happens in the days before your trip (7 days before, for Post Office policies) and your passports or travel documents are stolen, you might be able to make a claim on your travel insurance if you need to cancel your trip. Make sure to check your policy's terms and conditions to know for sure.

Key takeaways

Follow these tips to help keep your home safe while you're on holiday:

• Make it look like someone’s in: This can help keep burglars away from your home while you’re away
• Lock up and secure your home: Lock all doors and windows, think about getting better locks, and set up a security system to watch your home
• Reduce the risk: Unplug appliances and manage your utilities. Tell your insurance company if you'll be away for a long time. And don't share your holiday plans on social media while you’re gone