How to keep your home secure while away?

[Akanksha]

The holiday and travel season is fast approaching — a prime time for burglaries and break-ins when homes are often left unattended.

The Bunnings team has shared several guides on improving home security that can give you peace of mind while you are travelling or away spending time with your loved ones, including Home security tips to keep your property safe and a Home security checklist.

I also recommend having a look at experienced Bunnings Workshop member @Nham's guide How to choose a home security camera and How to set up smart home security by @Adam_W. These 10 ways to improve home security also contain great ideas.

I’m keen to hear what steps you’ve taken to deter intruders or thieves when you’re not at home.

Tagging @CSParnell, @TedBear, @Tara86 and @TheRenoDad to kickstart the discussion.

Akanksha

[Tinker_Bell]

Great question @Akanksha!

I will definitely be taking a look at the Home security tips you mentioned. We use solar-powered Christmas lights in the front yard that automatically turn on when it gets dark and we also have a lamp in the front room on this 24-hour mechanical timer from dusk until "bedtime." This helps create an illusion that someone is home and turning on the lights. 

Tinker_Bell 

[TedBear]

Great topic for the coming holiday season. I have installed security cameras, which I mounted high yet visible.

I have set up the one on my front veranda to always show a light when it picks up something, just to ensure that anyone in the zone knows it's functioning. 

We have an alarm system but never set it on due to false triggers causing more anxiety than the risk of a break in (which we've never had). 

My brother has a monitored alarm, but it costs him more than the value of all the removable items in his home. It would be cheaper for him if he just replaced anything stolen. (Again, it has never happened.)

So it's a case of risk Vs cost of covering that risk.