Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for travel, and that means a lot of London homes sit empty for a week or more. Parcels pile up, the lights stay off and the street can tell at a glance that nobody is in. A little planning before you leave makes a real difference. This checklist covers the practical steps, from the simple habits to the equipment worth having in place.
Make the house look lived in
Burglars tend to look for signs of absence, so the first job is to remove them.
- Ask a neighbour or friend to collect post and parcels, or use a delivery locker or a trusted alternative address.
- Put lights on timers or on a smart schedule so they switch on and off at sensible times rather than staying on all day.
- Keep curtains and blinds in their normal pattern, and avoid leaving valuables visible from the street.
- Do not announce your trip on social media until you are back.
- Make sure bins are not left overflowing and that someone can move them on collection day.
Smart lighting is the easiest upgrade here, because the schedule can be changed from your phone while you are away. If you are thinking about a wider setup, our smart home automation page explains what can be controlled from a single app.
Check the cameras and the alarm before you leave
A system you have not looked at for months may not behave as you expect. Spend ten minutes on these checks before you travel:
- Open the app and confirm every camera shows a live picture, in daylight and after dark.
- Check that your phone notifications are switched on and that the alert reaches the right people.
- Make sure the recorder has enough storage and is saving footage.
- Test the alarm panel, keypad and sensors, and confirm everyone who might enter the house knows the codes.
- Check batteries in wireless sensors and in any battery powered doorbell.
If something is not working, it is far better to find out now than from an airport lounge. Our engineers can take a look at an existing system, and CarePlan Home is an annual plan covering a yearly health-check visit for CCTV, alarm and smart devices, remote support and a priority 48-hour response, at £199 per year inc. VAT.
Equipment worth considering
If you are reviewing your security anyway, these are the packages most relevant to an empty home. All prices inc. VAT.
- Video Doorbell Pro: £399 inc. VAT. 2K video with night vision, two-way audio through the app and person detection, with an indoor chime included.
- Video Doorbell Fit: £129 inc. VAT. If you have already bought your own smart doorbell, we fit, wire and configure it properly, with app setup and alerts.
- Home Starter: £899 inc. VAT. Two 5MP turret cameras, a 1TB drive with around two weeks of footage and live viewing from your phone.
- Home Protect: £1,499 inc. VAT. Four 4K ColorVu cameras with full colour footage day and night, a 2TB drive with three to four weeks of footage, smart human and vehicle detection and a built-in strobe and siren.
- Family Home alarm: £1,099 inc. VAT. An advanced hub with 4G backup, two door contacts and four motion sensors, photo-verification sensors that show the cause of an alert, an external solar siren and two proximity key fobs.
The 4G backup on the alarm is particularly relevant for a long absence, because it keeps the system connected even if the broadband goes down while you are away. You can read more about the range on our CCTV and security page.
Not sure what suits your property? A Home Survey & Design is £99 inc. VAT. An engineer visits, gives you a written recommendation and fixed quote with a camera and device placement plan, and the fee is credited in full against any booking of £500 or more.
Heating while you are out
An empty house in winter still needs some heating to protect pipes. A smart thermostat with away modes and geofencing lets you set a low background temperature and bring the house back up before you return. Our Smart Thermostat Setup is £179 inc. VAT: your own Hive, Nest or tado is fitted with schedules, the app and geofencing configured. The thermostat itself is customer-supplied. See the energy management page for the wider options.
Tell the right people
- Give a trusted neighbour your contact details and ask them to ring if they notice anything unusual.
- Share the alarm code only with people who genuinely need it.
- Check your home insurance wording for any conditions about unoccupied periods, as some policies set limits on how long a property can be left empty.
If the clocks going back has already left you thinking about the darker evenings, our guide to getting your home ready for darker evenings covers lighting and exterior cameras in more detail.
When you are ready, tell us about your property and what you want to protect, and we will come back to you with a recommendation.