Going on holiday? A home security checklist before you leave

Before a holiday, there’s always a last-minute rush. In the middle of packing, it’s easy to forget the simple things that make your home look occupied and keep it secure. This checklist builds on the security tips Moray Locksmith has long shared with customers. Work through it a day or two before you go, and again as you leave.

A week before

• Check every lock works. A stiff uPVC door or worn cylinder is far better fixed before you go than discovered when you get back. See signs your locks need replacing.
• Arrange a trusted neighbour, friend or family member to keep an eye on the house, and leave them a key and your contact details.
• Stop deliveries such as milk and newspapers, or ask a neighbour to take them in.
• Book a Royal Mail “Keepsafe” if you’ll be away for a while, or ask a neighbour to collect post. A pile of mail behind the door is a giveaway.
• Check your insurance, including any conditions about locks and unoccupied periods.

Make the house look lived in

Burglars look for empty houses. Make yours look occupied:

• Timer switches on lamps in different rooms, and on a radio.
• Ask your neighbour to open and close curtains, and perhaps park on your drive.
• Arrange for the lawn to be cut if you’re away for a while in summer.
• Don’t leave curtains closed all day. It signals that nobody’s home.

Keep it off social media

• Avoid posting that you’re away, or sharing holiday photos while you’re still there.
• Check privacy settings, and turn off location tags.
• Don’t put your home address on luggage tags on the way out. Use a work address or just your name and phone number.

Valuables

• Lock away jewellery, cash and important documents, ideally in a safe, or leave them with a trusted relative or at the bank.
• Keep valuables out of sight of windows.
• Postcode-mark electrical items and keep a list of makes, models and serial numbers, with photos of things that can’t be marked.

Sheds, garages and gardens

• Lock sheds and garages, and put tools away so they can’t be used to break into the house.
• Bring bikes into the house if they’re usually kept in a shed.
• Lock or chain ladders, lying flat, to a secure fixing, using a close-shackle padlock or heavy-duty chain.
• Lock side and back gates.

See how to secure your shed, garage and outbuildings.

Doors and windows

Most burglars get in through a back door or window. On the day you leave:

• Lock every external door properly. On uPVC doors, lift the handle and turn the key. Shutting the door isn’t enough.
• Deadlock timber doors with the mortice lock.
• Lock all windows, including small top-lights and upstairs windows above flat roofs.
• Take keys out of locks and away from doors and windows, but make sure your key-holder knows where they are.
• Don’t leave a spare key under a mat, a pot or in a meter box.

Alarms and cameras

• Set the alarm, and give your key-holder the code and instructions.
• Check cameras and doorbells are working and alerts are on.

Neighbours and Neighbourhood Watch

Good neighbours are one of the best security measures there is:

• Tell them when you’re away and when you’ll be back.
• Give them a contact number for you, or someone who can act for you in an emergency.
• Ask them to report anything suspicious to Police Scotland on 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress.
• Remind them not to label your keys with your name, address or house number.
• If there’s a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in your area, join it. Neighbourhood Watch Scotland can help you find or start one.

Longer trips and winter absences

If you’re away for several weeks, or leaving the house empty over winter, there’s more to think about:

• Ask someone to visit regularly, not just once. They should check inside as well as out.
• Set the heating to a low frost-protection temperature and know where the water stopcock is, in case a pipe bursts.
• Check your insurance for conditions about unoccupied homes, as many policies have time limits.
• Arrange for snow clearing of paths if a neighbour can help, as an untouched path is a sign nobody is home.
• Have your gutters, paths and lighting sorted beforehand, so a visitor isn’t stumbling about in the dark.

Just before you leave

Take two minutes at the door: are all doors and windows locked, the alarm set, timers on, valuables away, and the key-holder sorted? Then enjoy your holiday.

When you get back

If you find signs of a break-in, don’t go in. Call the police, and read what to do after a break-in.

Key points

A secure holiday home comes down to looking lived in, locking everything properly and having a trusted neighbour on hand. If anything isn’t locking as it should before you go, Moray Locksmith can sort it. And Police Scotland’s website has further crime prevention advice.

This guide is general information for homes in Scotland. It is not legal or insurance advice. Always check your own policy, tenancy agreement and official guidance.