Is your home safe when you're in the winter sun?
Just in the process of watching
Rip Off Britain Holidays, - couples going away, leaving their homes empty and their respective details falling into criminal hands – resulting in possible home burglaries and others in fear cancelling –
My question - individuals, couples and friend’s, away from their homes for long periods of time –
possibly months at a time - enjoying themselves in the winter sun as far away as Portugal, Spain etc – then posting their whereabouts on this site – providing in some cases ‘in-depth’ reports, funny stories of what they are up to, where they
are, often concluding with anticipated additional comments suggesting further time scales away, where next traveling to, concluding when they intend their homeward trip.
As nice as it is seeing others in the sun, whilst we plod on, waiting for that day ‘we too’ can join them - are these individuals ’advertising’ their empty properties?
Not wishing to scare individual’s, but I wonder - have burglaries taken place as a direct result?
Insurance Companies – Do they have to be made aware of length of time the property could/will remain empty?
I wonder what their position would be - if they were to discover that during that period of absence the policy holder ’may’ in effect been advertising their absence in the country?
Has the Club even considered this? – I can’t find any previous conversations regarding this subject -
not for one minute suggesting there is any form of obligation on the club?
Comments
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I too watched Rip Off Britain and, in this case, the holiday company was at fault for a breach of data security.
I think we've had discussions about the lack of commonsense from some people who post their holiday plans on social media. I understand that, if an insurance company can prove that you've done so, they can reject any claim for losses.
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I find it so disheartening, probably you like us enjoy reading what individuals are up to, where their travels take them, possible food for future trips, that there are less scrupulous individuals,
just watching and waiting to take such advantages – more often than not praying on such individuals that have worked long and hard and now wish to enjoy and share their retirement, perhaps individuals a little less world wise and less internet savvy than others
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Don't we all live with risk all the time? Burglars are just as likely to be opportunist and break in whilst you're shopping, or in our case, whilst we were upstairs in bed!
We have little of huge value in our home, and very few things would cause us anguish were they to be removed. Anything of real value/sentimental value is stored elsewhere, whilst we're away.
When I'm away 'in the sun' I shan't give this a minute's thought to be honest.
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We're about to do it without the motorhome. Made all the sensible precautions, got someone coming in (a loss of service once they've flown the nest
, son an hour and a half away these days) to check everything. They'll be passing the house each day as they walk to visit elderly father
about to be 103
who lives a bit further on than us in the road. Set up timer switches today for lights and radio - have to
see if they work at the times I think I've set them for
instructions stored in a safe place since the last use
It won't worry me unduly, I'll have done my bit and I pay for insurance so that's as much as I can do.0 -
I think the important thing is not to leave obvious signs of absence (which could be a difficult if there’s a large vehicle suddenly absent from your garden) and to make sure that your property is overtly better protected than the neighbouring ones.
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Perhaps worth remembering that the risk is just not on long holidays. My neighbour, next door but one, went to the cinema for a few hours and came back to find the glass in his patio door broken having had a garden chair put through it. We were burgled once
when we were away for the weekend and the caravan would have been in the garden!!!David
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Good neighbours are very useful, we have a lot of elderly people around us who rarely go away, we've also now got a new next door neighbour who's at home with a small child (another on the way) so there is always someone coming and going. I've always felt
safe here even when OH used to be away for months on end. Good insurance is vital, but it can only replace items make sure personal keepsakes are safe, those you cannot replace.0 -
I love living where we do, been here for 30 years now, I grew up in a village, and our area has the same sort of atmosphere despite being on the edge of town. We were burgled years ago when we lived in London and we were asleep in bed at the time
Horrible feeling, but was grateful for really good insurance we've been with them ever since. I hope I'm not tempting fate by posting here - but the most important things in my life are not possessions. I agree with Tammygirl we have a real mix of neighbours elderly and young families and everything in between hopefully it helps.0 -
Our break in took place when were were at home, in bed, with a (very friendly) dog in the same room. We did wake, to hear one feeble 'woof' and then nothing else worried us so we thought she was dreaming. At 6.00 am in the morning we were woken by a local
dog walker who had found my handbag on the path down the lane from our house.All my cash, cards, phone, and keys had gone, together with some jewellery which I was taking for alteration, and which just happened to be in my handbag, and we found OH's phone had also gone. Immediately we phoned all our card suppliers and cancelled
them, and OH went out and got new door locks.The police came and did all the usual, and later I found out that the thieves had cashed in £3.59 from my Boots Loyalty Card at a local large retail park. Obviously they'd gone there to spend all the other cards, but because we found out early we'd stopped
that. We think they didn't go further than the dog, who slept in the doorway at the bottom of the stairs, otherwise it could have been much more frightening.So, to be perfectly honest, if it happens again I'd rather it happened whilst we were away - rather than upstairs in bed.
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