Cash advice

Coronavirus has ensured most holiday plans are on hold, but research from More Th>n found one in four Brits are leaving the house unoccupied more regularly as lockdown eases. If you’re going out and about, here’s how to protect your home…

INSTALL SMART LIGHTS

‘Some smart lights have away modes that turn the lights on and off at random instead of sticking to set times. This can help keep your home safe, as, if your house is being watched, burglars could get wise to there being a set pattern,’ says Carrie-Ann Skinner, Good Housekeeping Institute’s tech expert. The Philips Hue system is one of the best she’s tested, but the TP Link bulb is a cheaper alternative at £20.

DON’T OVERSHARE

Around 40 per cent of us tag our location while we’re away, according to research from Admiral Insurance. As well as alerting potential burglars to your empty home this could invalidate your home insurance policy. ‘Insurers expect you to take “reasonable care” when it comes to security,’ Helen Chambers from MoneySupermarket cautions.

KEEP AN EYE

In the market for a video doorbell? The Ring Video Doorbell 2 can be used in place of a wired doorbell or powered by its rechargeable battery. ‘ You can view motion that’s been recorded when you’re away from home and you’ll be alerted as soon as it detects movement,’ Carrie says. ‘This can provide peace of mind when you’re away as you can check your car is still safely on the drive and you’ll see if anyone has been loitering.’

PROTECT YOUR HOME ONLINE

If you do want to use social media to tell friends about that you’re at the pub garden or on a UK holiday, there are things you can do to protect your home and possessions from burglars. ‘Make sure your social media profiles are set to private so only your friends can see your post,’ Sarah Martinez from Get Safe Online advises. Avoid using the location and check-in features when you are out and about – and try to save your holiday snaps until you are back home.

SMART DEVICES

‘Use the IFTTT website (ifttt.com) or download the app and you can set up routines to make it look as if there is someone at home,’ Carrie explains. ‘For example, if you have a home security Wi-Fi camera, you can set smart lights to come on when it detects motion.’