Off somewhere nice, are you? If East Sydney Locksmiths can offer one crucial piece of advice concerning your holidays abroad, it would be this – take us with you!

No? Fine. Here’s a second free piece of advice concerning your best home security options collated from our 25-plus years of security experience – don’t set out the welcome mat for burglars while you’re away.

1. Darkness – An unlit home is a two-fold invitation. In the first place, a home that never has its lights on is like catnip for potential thieves – it just reeks of an empty home. Empty of people, that is, but not their valuables they’ve left behind while they’re away.

The second problem is that all those shadows give burglars plenty of places to hide and sneak around in. The less likely they are to be spotted, the more likely they’ll be tempted to give your home a try.

Lighten things up! Set up timers on a lamp or two. Or rig up some motion-sensor lights outside. Don’t leave those thieves anywhere to hide!

2. Letting Your Yard Go Wild – General untidiness is going to set a burglar’s antennae quivering – a lawn that’s usually mowed left to grow long, or shrubs that now need trimming. Mail piled up. Garbage bins that don’t get put out or taken in.

Your best home security bet here is to keep your home looking lived in. Neighbours are constantly having kids – put them to good use! Hire a trust-worthy teenager to trim the lawn and hustle the garbage bins out and back in come collection day. Have him or her make sure mail doesn’t pile up on your front porch.

You can go even further to keep your house looking lived in. We mentioned lights on timers – but how about a radio to make some noise? Perhaps have a pair of shoes set outside the back door, looking like they were just recently left there because they were too muddy.

A full house is just too much trouble for a would-be thief. Make them think there’s always someone home.

3. You Tell Them You’re Going To Be Away – Ah social media. Good for sharing pics of Junior’s latest footy game, a disaster when it comes to home security.

Don’t start posting those holiday pictures until you’re back home. And, no matter how much you want to make the relatives jealous, don’t broadcast that you’re going on holiday until you’re back.

Considering how much information we put out there about ourselves, it wouldn’t take much for a thief to figure out from such posts that you’re out of town.

Your the Best Home Security Systems Bet here is keep mum on the social media scene until you’re back.

4. You Leave a Window or Door Open – It sounds kind of silly, but trust us, it happens. In the last-minute flurry before setting out, a family has a lot on its mind, especially if they’re running late.

The Best Home Security Systems – Take the time to go over every window bolt and every door lock to make sure they’re secure. If you have safety bars for your sliding doors, slip them in place.

And while you’re at it, make sure the oven’s off too. Those secured doors aren’t going to do you much good if the walls around them have burnt down.

5. You Put Your Valuables on View – Leaving electronics, jewellery, you name it, in easy view of windows is going to tempt some bad boys and girls to pay you a visit. Even empty branded boxes, like those that pile up at the curb around Christmas, can be enough to wet a thief’s appetite.

The Best Home Security Systems – Keep those valuable items private. And while we’re talking about them, before you head off it might be a good time to make a list of the serial numbers on all your more precious goods.

Here’s a bonus point – keep track of who has keys to your place. If you feel like there may be too many copies of the keys to your castle out there, give East Sydney Locksmiths a call and let us freshen up your lock system!