Leaving home for a break shouldn’t be a promise to burglars. To keep your house secure while you’re away the trick is to lock and double-check every door and window, give the impression that someone’s still around, secure all your outbuildings, keep visible signs of being on holiday to a minimum, and make sure any of that fancy security kit you’ve invested in is properly set up. The UK police keep saying the same thing – that simple things like making sure windows and doors are locked, securing any side access and not drawing attention to the fact you’re away, are still really important.
A holiday is meant to be relaxing, not a countdown to worrying about whether you’ve left everything secure. But even though there’s a 20% drop in domestic burglaries to only 342,000 incidents in the year ending September 2025 (according to the latest stats from the Office for National Statistics), that’s still a lot of households that are being hit. The thing is the burglars tend to go for the properties that are easy to break into and look empty and unoccupied. If your home looks like someone’s just popped out for a minute, it’s way less likely to be targeted.
First Things First – Get Your Doors, Windows and Lock Condition Sorted
The first thing to sort out is the basics. Home security often falls down because of the little things – a back window that’s not quite closed properly, a patio door that doesn’t shut fully, a side gate that’s easy to open, or a front door lock that’s been on its last legs for months but never got repaired. That’s where locksmith advice comes in handy as you can’t just rely on generic security tips to keep you safe. For a lock not to be working properly, it doesn’t have to be broken – just a bit worn or misaligned can leave it vulnerable to being forced open.
If you’re finding that a key is sticking, the cylinder feels loose, the handle drops off, the mechanism doesn’t click into place or the door needs a good yank to lock, its time to sort the lock out before you leave. And its not just about the lock. A worn or poorly aligned lock can actually make it easier for a burglar to get in and may even leave your property unsecured without you realising it.
Check every exterior door, including:
- the front & back doors of course
- patio doors & French doors
- the doors leading into your garage
- any utility room exits
- any accessible ground-floor windows
And check too that your locks are actually being used properly. You’ll be surprised how many people have key-operated window locks but don’t actually use them. The ones that matter most are ground-floor windows and any upper-level windows that can be reached from a flat roof, extension, fence or outbuilding.
Know which lock upgrades actually make a difference to security
Lots of holiday-home security advice goes up in smoke because it tells you to ‘upgrade your locks’ but doesn’t give you any real information on what that means in practice. Frankly, not all lock upgrades are created equal.
If you’ve got uPVC or composite doors in your UK home, euro-cylinder security is something you should probably start by looking into. Older cylinders are pretty vulnerable to snapping attacks, so it’s worth getting a locksmith in to take a look and see if they think a modern anti-snap replacement cylinder would be a good investment for you. And if your locks are old, rubbish or have been sitting there since you moved in, replacing them before a trip makes a lot more sense than just relying on a camera to catch any potential trouble.
It’s the same story with doors and windows in general. A strong lock is pointless if the frame, hinges and general state of the door are dodgy. That’s why physical security still amounts to the main game in holiday-home protection.
Don’t ignore those awkward areas like side gates, sheds and garages
One of the most common security weaknesses I see is not actually the front door at all, but the side gate, back garden access, shed or garage. These are all areas that give burglars plenty of cover, time and space to get on with what they’re doing without being spotted.
So before you head off, make sure you’ve got:
- side gates firmly locked
- sheds and garages secured with something a bit more substantial than a hasap or flimsy padlock
- ladders not just left standing outside
- tools put away properly
- bikes and any valuable outdoor kit not just left visible on the driveway
It matters because burglars will often end up using your own tools or bits of garden gear to get in or reach a window that’s not as secure. And the UK police are quite clear on how important it is to secure garages, sheds and side access areas before you leave.
Make it look like someone’s actually at home
A secure home should never advertise the fact that nobody is actually there. That’s one of the most practical parts of holiday security and it still works.
Use those smart timer-controlled lamps to make it look like there’s some activity going on in more than one room at a time, rather than just leaving one light on all the time. A home that shows a bit of variation in the lighting is a lot more convincing than one that’s just got the same old lamp glowing away every night. Some people also leave the radio on a timer to add to the illusion. It’s a cheap and easy way to make it look like the place is still lived in.
And then there are the usual signs of absence you should avoid giving away that you’re not actually at home – cancel any regular deliveries if you can, talk to a neighbour or friend into moving the post away from the door, put the bins back where they belong, get someone to drive by the house every now and then if they can… These are all the kinds of little details that can make a real difference to how convincing the whole thing looks.
Use Smart Security Properly – Not as an Afterthought
Smart security can be an absolute lifesaver, but only if you get it right. Having a visible alarm, doorbell or camera can be a pretty effective deterrent – and being able to get notified remotely if something happens can give you a decent head start on responding to a situation. However – and this is a big ‘however’ – the more devices you have connected to your security systems, the more of a security risk they can actually be if you don’t set them up properly.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has some pretty sound advice on how to get the most out of your smart security systems – change those default passwords, use strong ones and make sure you take extra steps to protect your account. Plus keep all your devices and apps up to date and make sure you’ve got the latest security patches. And let’s be honest – while smart doorbells are a great idea, a proper-secured account behind one is still a big deal – security standards on consumer smart devices have been tightened up in the UK and now there’s a new baseline that’s supposed to make the security of these devices a lot better.
Before you jet off on a trip, double-check that:
- your camera, alarm and doorbell apps are all up to date
- you’ve ditched those default or rubbish passwords for something stronger
- you’ve got alerts switched on on the phone you’re taking with you
- you only share access with people you really trust
- your system is actually saving recordings if that’s a feature you need
- your home wifi password is still pretty robust and isn’t being used anywhere else
Don’t be fooled into thinking that smart security will replace the need for proper security measures. A smart system with a weak back door is still a system with a weak back door.
Don’t Get Caught Out By Your Smart Doorbell & CCTV Setup
For UK households one thing lots of articles gloss over is privacy. Smart doorbells and home CCTV are usually pretty useful, but if they start filming footage outside your property boundary then you’re going to have to start thinking about data protection rules. The ICO’s guidance on smart doorbells and CCTV is still worth checking out, and it’s about to be reviewed in light of some recent changes to the law.
That doesn’t mean you have to bin the idea of a smart doorbell altogether – it just means you need to think a bit more about how you set it up to make sure you’re not capturing more footage than you need to.
Watch Out with those spare keys & Keyholders
A holiday’s a great time to give some thought to keeping your place secure. A lot of folk have an extra key floating around, but there’s no way of keeping track of who’s got it. Before you bugger off on your trip, make sure you know exactly which mate you can trust to have access and that their key still works okay.
This is also a good time to stop doing all the things burglars already expect you to do. No leaving spare keys under doormats or inside fake rocks, or sticking them in plant pots – or for that matter, above the door. Those are just the usual hiding spots for folk who want to get in easily.
If you’re relying on a neighbour or mate to keep an eye on the place, make sure they know what to look out for: a big pile of post, a sensor that’s gone off, a door that’s in a funny position, any signs of fiddling, or a power cut that’s knocked out the alarm or the camera system.
Have a look at your valuables & insurance
Preventing a burglary should be top of the list, but getting your house in order counts too. Stash valuable things out of sight, especially if they’re near windows. Consider snapping a photo of the expensive stuff or storing those serial numbers somewhere safe. If the worst happens, that’ll make it a lot easier to sort out later.
Before you go off on a longer trip it’s also a good idea to take a gander at your home insurance – especially the part about how long you can leave the place empty or what kind of security gear you need to be using. Some policies have some pretty tight conditions, so it’s not something you can ignore.
Don’t broadcast your holiday plans online
The biggest mistake when it comes to holiday security is often not about locks at all. It’s live posting online. Posting about airport check-ins, beach snaps, and countdowns can tell the whole world that your place is empty.
The safest way is just to hold off posting until you get back. It’s a tip that the UK police keep banging on about because it’s still sound advice.
Do your last 15-minute holiday home security check
Before you leg it for the airport or the train station or the motorway, take a last walk around the place.
Check that all the doors and windows are locked up tight – even the ones upstairs that you can reach from outside. Double-check that the alarm is set up. Make sure the timer lights are working. Lock up any side gates or outbuildings. Move any ladders or tools out of the garden. Stash valuable things away from windows. If you got a pet then make sure their flappy door is secured up proper like. Make sure your smart camera or doorbell is online and sending you any alerts. And then keep all your travel plans to yourself online until you get back home.
That final check is a good idea because more often than not, a security breach comes from forgetting one tiny detail rather than something huge.
When You Should Call a Locksmith Before You Travel
You don’t have to wait for a lockout emergency to get your home security on track, but it’s a good idea to get in touch with a locksmith before you head off on holiday if a few key things are wrong:
- you’ve got a lock that’s stuck, loose, or just plain unreliable
- you’ve moved into a new place recently and have no idea who still has keys floating around
- your patio or uPVC door just doesn’t want to lock smoothly
- you’re thinking of ditching those old lock cylinders for something more secure
- you want to get a good hard look at the weak points on your property
That’s the difference between just writing about home security and actually knowing what you’re talking about when it comes to locks. Building a good pre-holiday security plan isn’t just about checking off a list of gadgets or getting advice online – it’s about making sure it’s really, really hard for someone to break in, making your place look like someone’s still there, and squashing those tiny vulnerabilities that burglars just love to exploit. If any lock feels unreliable before a trip, it is worth having it checked by a local locksmith like Fast Keys so any issues can be dealt with before the property is left empty.
Safe Home, Safer Holiday
Keeping your home secure while you’re away on holiday is rarely about parting with a load of cash for some fancy security system. Mostly it’s about getting the basics right and doing a few small, sensible things properly. Getting the locks sorted, making sure the side access is secure, putting up some convincing signs that you’re still around, keeping an eye on who has keys, and configuring your smart devices so they’re actually doing some good – all of these things add up to create a solid layer of protection that does the job better than any one super-expensive security measure on its own.
That’s the aim really: not to make your house look impossible to break into, but to make it look like breaking in is just too much hassle. And once you’ve got that sorted, you can leave home feeling confident and enjoy your time away.
