Keeping Safe This Summer

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Home:

When it comes to keeping your house secure while you are away it is best to ask (bribe with cookies and cake) a neighbour or a friend to keep an eye out while you are away. If this doesn’t give you enough piece of mind you can always get someone to house-sit, this also takes away the need to put any pets into boarding.

To save money unplug all of your appliances. If you wish to go the extra mile and give the illusion that someone is home, don’t just leave a light on – if it stays on all the time it will cost you money and a potential thief might get suspicious. Instead, get a light switch timer so that the sight of lights turning on and off gives the illusion that someone is at home.

A few extra tips are;

Don’t tip off criminals – be careful what you post on social media
If going on a long trip let the police know
Stop the mail and newspaper delivery
Take away the spare key

Business:

Your business is your livelihood so it only makes sense to have it safely secured while you are away on holidays.

Lock up and secure:

Documents that may contain confidential information (credit card or clients/customer/employee information)
Cash, chequebooks and credit cards
Windows and doors
Move any expensive equipment you may have to where it is out of sight from street view
Make your security measures obvious e.g. have security cameras facing the front door.

Shut Off

Computers – including monitors and devices (printers, fax machines, televisions, etc.)
Break-room appliances (coffee machine, microwave, etc.)
Office lights – you can get a timer so the main office remains lit during office hours.

Car:

When you go away there is more to storing it than just parking it in long term parking. If you are going away for less than a month you don’t necessarily need to do anything special. Just make sure you remove any items, especially food scraps.

To prepare your engine for a longer trip you should: