WALSALL, England, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

As the early May Bank Holiday gets closer many people will be thinking of heading away for a short break or a long weekend with friends or family. If that includes you, before you set off read our Handy Hints to help protect your home.

1. Secure all of your doors

Before leaving for your holiday make sure you lock all of your doors. It may sound obvious, but in the rush to hit the road accidentally leaving a door open could allow thieves to easily access your home and all of your valuables and items of sentimental value. Sometimes these items are hard or even impossible to replace, so a final check of all your doors could make all the difference.

Fitting a letterbox cage to your front door is also a simple yet effective measure to deter burglars. It will stop anyone from being able to reach inside to access your front door lock or any keys or items that you may leave within reach.

2. Let there be light!

It's tempting to close your curtains to make it look like you're at home, but a well lit house is less likely to be targeted as it makes it harder for intruders to get into undetected. Outside lights with sensors are also worth investing in so that your neighbours can be alerted to any strange movements by your house if the lights come on. For the inside of your home lights with timers are also beneficial as it means your lighting will come on at regular intervals making it look like someone is at home at different times of the day.

3. Don't get yourself in a flap

Make suitable arrangements for your pets whilst you're away. A large cat or dog flap could be an effortless way for a burglar to get into your home. Don't take any chances when it comes to home security, lock your cat or dog flap up whilst you're enjoying a few days away.

4. Be aware of prying eyes

If you have costly items in your home such as a flat screen TV try and move it into a position that means it's not in plain view from the outside of your property. If you're travelling overseas put your car in a garage if you have access to one so that your property doesn't look like an attractive target to burglars.

5. Keep your important documents out of sight

Before you leave home put your important documents away. Bank statements, insurance papers or any work related documents can all give away important clues to your identity or finances. If possible put your documents into a safe if you have one, if not think of hiding your information in an obscure place like an old biscuit tin at the back of a food cupboard. If you are unfortunate enough to have your home broken into this tip may help to minimise the loss of personal information.

HomeServe also offers insurance cover for plumbing, drains, electrical wiring and gas central heating.

Important information regarding HomeServe help and advice

HomeServe try to make the home advice as useful and reliable as possible. However, the purpose of HomeServe help and advice content is to provide homeowners and private landlords with general guidance and useful tips only. It doesn't necessarily deal with every important topic or cover every aspect of the topics with which it deals and might not be relevant or appropriate in all circumstances. It is not designed to provide professional advice or financial advice and should not be relied on as such. The full disclaimer regarding HomeServe help and advice can be found on the website at the following page: http://www.homeserve.com/help-advice/disclaimer

For further information about HomeServe visit http://www.HomeServe.com or contact:

Famena Nawaz
+44-(0)-1902-609106
famena.nawaz@homeserve.com

Melanie Fleet
+44-(0)-1922-659783
melanie.fleet@homeserve.com      

SOURCE HomeServe