Login

Forgot your password?
Font size: A- A+
Become a Member FREE

Join around 100,000 monthly visitors and 72,000 members: daily games, discussions, contribute articles, make new friendships, GrownUps-only offers & more...

Register Free Now!
Notices
WIN a Globus California Classics Tour for Two!
WIN a Globus California Classics Tour for Two!
This year you could be taking a $9400 trip for two to California
Soothe Worry & Tension
Soothe Worry & Tension
...while enhancing your libido (men and women)
Sports & Travel Survey
Sports & Travel Survey
Complete the survey and be in to win a $100 Westfield voucher
Let's Chat Over Lunch
Let's Chat Over Lunch
Have a Free Lunch with Metlifecare
Feel All-Bran New
Feel All-Bran New
New Ways to Get Fibre Into Your Day
Win a return journey across Cook Strait
Win a return journey across Cook Strait
See more of New Zealand with Bluebridge
See the Difference
See the Difference
Eyesight Advice from Visique Optometrists
2degrees Offer
2degrees Offer
Making the CDMA switchover easy
Optometry & Eyewear Survey
Optometry & Eyewear Survey
We'd like to find out a little more about your optometry & eyewear preferences
CDMA Phone Network close down 31 July
CDMA Phone Network close down 31 July
Move now & get $79 credit with every Prepaid mobile
Keep up to date with us
Keep up to date with us
Follow our updates, new comps and articles via Facebook and Twitter
List your Classified
List your Classified
House Sitters, Employment, For Sale, Property & Personals
Live Chat
Live Chat
With fellow GrownUps in our multi-room chat
Compare & Purchase Insurance products
Disclaimer: Grown Ups is not an Insurance Broker. We provide product information from recognised Insurance companies. We are not making recommendations and we accept no responsibility for decisions made as a result of using the information provided.'
R50 Sexual Health
R50 Sexual Health
Check out the new section available to everyone.
Recipes
Recipes
Find some delicious recipes by clicking here.
Guide to Retirement Living
Guide to Retirement Living
Get your own copy for free, here.
Columnists

Vote in our Polls

Are you carpeting or re-carpeting a property in the next 6 months?

Category sponsor

Home Security While You Are Away

Written by Ava Xiao

We all want our homes to be safe and we follow many necessary steps to increase the security of our homes. However, before you install any security improvements and security systems, you need to understand what factors cause the most dangers to the security of your home.

When you are away from your home for a long period is the most dangerous time for the security of your house. If you decide to go on a vacation (or a long work trip), you will need to face this fact and to take the adequate security measures to protect your home from a possible break in attempt.

Burglary is the most important thing you should prevent when you are go out for a long trip. The burglar will try to break into the houses that he believes to be less protected then others. when the burglar believes that the house is empty or the owner of the house is gone for a long time, he will think that he has more chance to succeed in the burglary attempt that there will be a lot less obstacles preventing him from breaking in or disturbing him in the process. So the most important thing you should do before you are on a vacation is to make your home like it is occupied.

There are several steps that you can follow to make your house look like it is occupied and to reduce the chances that it will be robbed.

The first step is to make sure that there are no traces outside of the house that scream out that the owner in not at home. For example, you will need to make sure that your mail and newspapers don"t pile up in the mailbox or on your door steps. You will need to talk to your neighbors, friends or relatives and ask them to pick up your mail, newspapers and delivered items on a daily basis. You can also stop by your post office and ask that your mail is placed on hold in the post office.

If your neighbors have a car, you should ask them to park it in your driveway or by your house. The burglar will consider you are at home when seeing the car.

The next step is to make sure that your house looks occupied from the inside. You should talk to your neighbors and ask them to stop by your house in the evening and turn on a few lights and possibly a TV. You can also install a specific security system that will automatically turn your lights and house appliances on and off a specific preset times. You should make sure that you draw the curtains for all of your windows. Alternatively you can hire a house sitter for the time that you are away from home.

Make sure all doors and windows are locked before you leave. and the alarm system is armed
This is another one of those it should be so obvious, and yet people forget it all the time. In fact, it might help to make a check-list of things to do before you walk out the door.

Published 19th Nov 2009

print

Advertisement

Advertisement

Article Information
Average Rating: 0
Explore This Topic
Discuss This

Click here to start a discussion on this or Click here to read other discussions.

Contribute
Log in to post comments

 

Join GrownUps Free
By becoming a GrownUps member and part of the Community, you gain access to:
  • Enter Competitions
  • Go into regular prize draws
  • Play daily games
  • Join Discussion Groups
  • Find like-minded individuals and create lasting friendships
  • Receive special GrownUps offers and
  • Add you own articles of interest, recipes, pictures for fellow members to read and view.
All for FREE! So why not join now?

Register Now