The Great Hunt: How do you make your house look occupied while on holiday?

Former_MSE_Darryl

The holiday season's here. But if you're heading away for a week or two, how do you deter burglars by making your home look occupied? From leaving a radio on to putting lights on a timer, we want to tap MoneySavers' collective knowledge.

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scotsbob

Leave big light on.

callum9999

I don't as I'm not paranoid...

jamesaberry

I'm paranoid; Burglary terrifies me.

- Lights on timers in different rooms
- Radio on timer
- Blue flickery light on timer to simulate TV

....but I can't replicate proper pattern-of-life such as curtains / gates / cars moving.

Mike_Phillips_2

Downstairs, I have a light on a time-switch which comes on at dusk and off at around midnight.
Upstairs, I have a light on a time-switch which comes on at around midnight, and switches on and off several times until dawn.
I leave the curtains closed.
I encourage my neighbors to park their car in my drive.
I ensure my neighbors know my travel plans and have the keys to my home, and I get my sons-in-law to check out the property most days.
Mike Phillips

gloriouslyhappy

I have a glassed-in porch protecting my front door, and my letterbox is on the porch door. To avoid mail and junk mailing piling up and making it obvious no one's been home for a while, I've attached a pillowcase to the letterbox slot so all mail drops into it. It's non see-thru and being a pillowcase is big enough to hold a lot. Quick cheap practical solution, in addition to lights and radio on separate timers upstairs and downstairs.

clarryd

I put all lights downstairs and upstairs on timers.

Leave a minute between the downstairs and upstairs so that it looks like someone is turning them on and off.

Also put my blinds so during the day looks like someone is in and at night closed enough so no one can look in.

Always works for me, and if you want more security get a neighbour to do curtains and a general check around.

Mr_Wang

Have someone come and make it look occupied every few days. It also helps living in an area where not a single incidence of crime has occurred this year so far (well, that has been reported)

Tiglath

We don't go away unless someone is cat-sitting so not an issue for us.

Mr_Wang

Tiglath wrote: »

We don't go away unless someone is cat-sitting so not an issue for us.

You're one of those aren't you.

I was at my GF mothers house at Christmas and at midnight we all headed for bed. She spouted up "Oh, we can't go to bed yet, the cat isn't ready to come in"

I mean seriously - !!!!!! :cool:

atolaas

Mr_Wang wrote: »

You're one of those aren't you.

I was at my GF mothers house at Christmas and at midnight we all headed for bed. She spouted up "Oh, we can't go to bed yet, the cat isn't ready to come in"

I mean seriously - !!!!!! :cool:

Cats have their humans well trained lol :-)