The holiday period is when thieves are on the lookout for easy opportunities to hop away with your valuables. The Easter Bunny is always welcome however the more sinister kind of visitor is not!  For those of us lucky enough to be able to travel this Easter, here are a few tips.

Most thieves don’t take holidays and even though Easter might be a shorter break a lot of people head away, so it’s important to be mindful of the risks when your house and your business is left all alone.

Insurers typically see a spike in home burglaries over Easter and we don’t want you to become part of those statistics.

When your home or business is empty it’s important to maintain an illusion of being around and not to highlight that there’s no one at either your home or business premises.

It’s not just the Easter Bunny who could be tiptoeing into your house when you leave. There are many tell tale signs for unwelcome guests with some of these being -:

  • Built-up of mail delivery
  • No lighting systems in use
  • Lack of general activity
  • Garbage bins being left out on the street
  • The usual alarm system not working (i.e. our dogs being away)
  • Signage highlighting office/business closure
  • You’re sharing your holidays on your social media

Before you head off and start enjoying all those hot cross buns and Easter eggs, consider how you are going to give the appearance of someone being at home or at work. Here are a few thought starters for you:

  • Get someone to collect the mail: If you cannot get a neighbour to do this, arrange with Australia Post to get your mail redirected (link https://auspost.com.au/receiving/manage-your-mail/redirect-hold-mail/redirect-mail)
  • Get smart lights – With an abundance of technology available, you can set up simple things like smart lights that allow you to turn on your lights with a tap of an app. (Bunning have an inexpensive range https://www.bunnings.com.au/our-range/smart-home/smart-lighting-power/smart-light-bulbs)
  • Put a RING on it – A Ring is a video doorbell with an inbuilt camera which allows you to respond to anyone at your door anytime by using an app. You can give the appearance of being there but being too busy to open the door (even though you could be thousands of km away). Check it out here > https://au-en.ring.com/
  • Keep it maintained – If you are aware for a couple of weeks, your lawns and gardens can become overgrown very quickly. Arrange for someone to come and give them a quick mow to ensure the premises looks lived in. It also helps to see activity on site.
  • Add a smart lock to your door – A smart door lock lets you unlock your door remotely from your smartphone and grant temporary access with expiring codes. If you have a neighbour checking in on the house or a pet sitter coming to take care of the dogs, you can keep track of exactly who goes in and out of your house and terminate access once you’re home again.
  • Remove spare keys – Keeping spare keys stashed outside your home is never a great idea but if you are going out of town, collect them from what you think are your clever hiding spots.
  • Lock everything – Make sure all doors and windows are shut and locked. Close curtains and blinds but be sure that you can see light around the edges to help show a human presence from the street.
  • Get valuables out of sight – Put gaming consoles, devices, jewellery and large electronics in closets or empty boxes. Thieves are often looking for these easy to grab and sell items.
  • Advise your security company – If you own a business, ensure that relevant security authorities have been advised of the dates you are away or liaise with your building management to have your floor locked down.

A study by QBE survey also found that 51 per cent of people share photos on social media while they are on holiday – potentially alerting burglars to their absence. When convicted burglars were surveyed in the, four out of five said social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter were being used by burglars to target their victims. SO be mindful what you post.

Better to be safe than sorry so make a little bit of effort now and you can sleep a lot sounder.

If you would like to check on your coverage, get in touch with your personal Rivers broker or contact our offices directly:
Brisbane: 07 3028 9494
Cairns: 07 4051 8422
Innisfail: 07 4061 1766

If you do come back to the worst, we are here to help.  Call our Claims Team on 07 3028 9494.  They are here and ready to help 24/7.

Get your free HOLIDAY CHECKLIST, put it on the fridge and refer to it when you take holidays.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

https://riversinsurance.com.au/holiday-checklist/

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