Smart Ways To Protect Your Assets When You’re Away From Home
Key Takeaways
Create an "Illusion of Occupation": Use light timers and ask a neighbour to collect mail and manage bins to make it look like someone is home.
Secure Physical Assets: Lock all doors and windows, store ladders/tools, use a safe for valuables, and park your car securely, perhaps using professional storage for long trips.
Protect Digital Life: Avoid posting holiday updates on social media until you return and notify your bank of your travel dates to prevent card freezes.
Enlist Help: Ask a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on things or consider a house sitter for longer trips.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of locking the front door, suitcase in hand, and heading off on a well-earned holiday. Whether it’s a two-week escape to Bali or a month-long tour of Europe, that pre-trip buzz is pure magic. But lurking in the back of every savvy traveller’s mind is a niggling thought: Is everything going to be okay at home?
Your home is a treasure trove of your hard-earned assets, from the big-ticket items like your car and electronics to the irreplaceable things like family photos and heirlooms. A bit of pre-trip planning can turn that worry into peace of mind, letting you truly switch off and enjoy your time away.
Fortify Your Fortress: The Physical Stuff
Before you even think about packing your bathers, your first job is to make your home look and feel like an unappealing target. Most burglaries are crimes of opportunity, so your goal is to create too many hurdles for a would-be thief.
Do a Security Walk-Through
Grab a notepad and walk around your property, inside and out, with the eyes of a stranger.
Locks and Keys: Have you changed the locks since you moved in? Don’t forget side gates, sheds, and that old sliding door; a simple piece of wood or a metal rod in the track can stop it from being forced open.
Windows: It sounds obvious, but check they’re all locked. A visibly sturdy window lock is a great deterrent.
Spare Keys: Never, ever leave a spare key under the doormat, in a fake rock, or above the doorframe. Burglars know all the tricks. If someone needs a key, leave it with a trusted neighbour or family member.
Tools and Ladders: Don’t leave anything outside that could be used to break in. That means putting away the ladder, garden tools, and even that stack of bricks for the new garden bed.
Embrace the Illusion of Occupation
Your best defence is making it seem like someone is home. A dark, silent house is an invitation.
Lights on Timers: Invest in a few cheap timer switches for your lamps and living room lights. Set them to turn on at dusk and off at a reasonable bedtime. It’s a simple, classic trick that works.
Manage Your Mail and Mowing: Nothing screams empty house! like a bursting letterbox and knee-high grass. This is where your community comes in.
Ask a Neighbour: See if they can collect your mail, parcels, and any junk mail that gets left at the door.
The High-Value Hit List
Some items need a little extra attention. Take an afternoon to secure the things that would be most devastating to lose.
Document and Discreetly Secure
Create a Home Inventory: Take photos or a video of each room, opening drawers and cupboards. This provides proof of ownership for insurance purposes. Store this file in the cloud, not on a device left at home.
The Safe Bet: A good quality, heavy safe bolted to the floor or wall is ideal for storing passports, jewellery, important documents, and small valuables. If a fireproof safe is within budget, even better.
Vehicle Security
Your car is often one of your most valuable assets. Leaving it sitting in the driveway for weeks on end can make it a target. If you have a garage, use it. Out of sight is truly out of mind. Don’t leave spare car keys anywhere inside the house. If a burglar finds them, they’ve just won a new car. For longer trips, consider professional, secure vehicle storage that will be your best friend during this time. This is a fantastic option if you don’t have a secure garage, as these facilities offer fenced and often undercover protection for your car, and secure premises with 24/7 CCTV monitoring for extra peace of mind.
The Digital Lock and Key: Protecting Your Online World
Your physical assets aren’t the only things at risk. Your digital life needs a holiday plan, too.
Social Media Savvy
We’re all guilty of wanting to share our holiday joy, but broadcasting your empty home to hundreds of people is a massive risk.
The Golden Rule: It’s tempting to upload a sunset pic from the beach, but you’re essentially announcing your house is vacant. Save those posts for when you return; it’s like getting to re-live the holiday all over again.
Check Your Privacy Settings: If you simply must post, ensure your privacy settings are locked down so only close friends and family can see your updates. Avoid location tagging your home.
Financial Forethought
A lost wallet in a foreign country is stressful enough without worrying about your main accounts.
Notify Your Bank: Let your bank and credit card companies know your travel dates and destinations. This stops them from flagging your overseas transactions as fraudulent and freezing your cards.
Go Digital: Use your bank’s app to keep an eye on transactions. Set up alerts for large withdrawals or unusual activity.
Bills and Direct Debits: Make sure any regular bills are covered so you don’t come home to a disconnection notice. Set up auto-payments or pay in advance.
Your Away-Team: Enlisting Help
You don’t have to do it all yourself. The people around you are your greatest asset in home security.
The Trusted Neighbour
A good neighbour is worth their weight in gold. Offer to return the favour next time they go away.
What they can do: Collect mail, put your bins out, bring them in on the right days, and even park their car in your driveway occasionally. Provide them with your contact details and a spare key for emergencies.
Professional House Sitters
For extended trips, a live-in house sitter is the gold standard. Websites like Aussie House Sitters can connect you with responsible individuals or couples who will look after your home and pets in exchange for free accommodation. It’s a win-win.
The Ultimate Safety Net
Before you walk out the door, do one final check on your paperwork.
The Emergency Info Sheet
Leave a single, clear document for your emergency contact (neighbour or family member) with:
Your travel itinerary and how to reach you.
Your address (for emergency services).
The contact details for your plumber, electrician, and vet.
The location of the water main and the electricity box.
Quick Pre-Departure Checklist
Tick these off in the 24 hours before you leave:
Security:
Lock all windows and doors (including deadlocks).
Set up your light timers.
Store ladders, tools, and bins inside or in a secure location.
External Tasks:
Arrange for a neighbour or friend to collect mail and parcels.
If away for a long time, organise for your lawn to be mowed.
Ask a neighbour to put your bins out and bring them in on the correct days.
Digital & Financial:
Consider placing a temporary hold on your mail with Australia Post.
Notify your bank and credit card providers of your travel dates.
Pay any bills that will fall due while you are away.
Internal Tasks:
Unplug non-essential appliances (TV, computer, toaster) to save power and reduce fire risk.
Take out all rubbish to avoid smells.
Adjust your thermostat or heating to a low or "away" setting.
Secure passports, jewellery, and important documents in a safe.
A little bit of effort before you go means you can fully immerse yourself in your holiday, sipping that cocktail or exploring that ancient ruin without a worry in the world. After all, the best souvenir is returning to a home that is exactly as you left it: safe, sound, and waiting for your stories.
