As you read this, you probably have other things on your mind. Like taking a holiday, for example. As the end of the year approaches, and spring and summer holidays begin, you’ll be keen to pack up the family and take off. Most Kiwis are looking forward to that prospect right now but, unfortunately, they’re not just holidaymakers. There are also people out there who will seek to take advantage of these empty homes by breaking in and helping themselves.
We’re here to prevent that from happening as best we can. Alarm monitoring NZ homes is just one of the security services we provide, while our products, ranging from alarm systems to CCTV, add another layer of protection for homes, whether they’re occupied or not.
However, home security is even more multi-faceted than the products and services we offer. You can also do a few things yourself. These include making it look like you’re home even when you’re not. There are high-tech ways to do this, including smart technology. For example, smart lights can turn on and off during the course of the evening to make it look like someone is inside. We’ve even heard of speakers that automatically play recordings of barking dogs, which can be a very effective deterrent. But there are also low-tech solutions you can put in place, and they can work just as well. Here are just a few of them:
- If you’re taking your car for a road trip holiday, ask your neighbours or a nearby friend if they’ll park their car in your driveway while they’re away.
- Ask your neighbours to clear your letterbox every day.
- Have someone put out your wheelie bin on rubbish collection day – even if it is empty.
- If you trust your neighbours with your house key, ask them to close curtains every night and open them every morning. (Unclosed curtains at night are a real giveaway that no one is home)
- Hang some (older) towels and garments on the clothesline to make it look like someone is home and has just hung out the washing.
- Leave some big and manly work boots by the front door.
- Mow the lawns and weed the garden just before you go. An overgrown lawn and garden is a telltale sign you’re not home…or lazy!
These high and low tech methods should be enough to plant a few seeds of doubt in the mind of someone with less than honourable intentions. It’s all part of the multi-layered approach you need to take when keeping your home secure. To discuss what role we can play in your security, contact us at any time.