It would be nice to believe that you can leave your property unoccupied for an extended period of time without having to worry about it being broken into or vandalized. Unfortunately that is not the world we live in.

Unoccupied properties are at significantly greater risk of being targeted by burglars, vandals and even squatters, so you need to take the proper precautions if you want to keep it safe while you’re away. Below are 5 of the best ways to do this.

1. Hire a housesitter

Hiring a housesitter is one of the best ways to make your home more secure when it would otherwise be unoccupied. The internet has made it much easier to find a trustworthy housesitter so this is definitely something you should consider when leaving your home for a longer period of time.

2. Make the house look lived in

A big mistake that a lot of people make when they leave their property unoccupied is to turn all the lights off. This will make it clear to potential burglars that nobody is home and will make your house much more likely to be targeted. Simply leaving a few lights on will help to decrease the chance of your house being broken into significantly. You can get automatic switched devices that turn certain lights on and off in your house at intervals.

It’s also a good idea to think about privacy so don’t forget blinds for bifold doors.

3. Get unoccupied property insurance

If you’re going to be away from the property for more than 30 days then you’ll need to get unoccupied property insurance. Many people make the mistake of assuming that their home insurance policy will cover them but this usually is not the case if the property is unoccupied for an extended period of time.

Therefore you’ll need to get unoccupied property insurance to property protect your home.

4. Have your post held

As well as having your post held, you should also cancel any regular deliveries for newspapers etc. There’s nothing that screams a property is unoccupied more than a build up of letters and parcels by the front door.

5. Have an alarm fitted

If you don’t already have a home security alarm then you should certainly invest in one if you’re planning to go away for an extended period of time. Often merely the sight of an alarm is enough to put would-be burglars off so it’s definitely worth the investment.