It’s anyone’s worst nightmare: you return from a heart-warming trip with your family, only to find that back in Budapest your house has been turned upside down, your most precious belongings – gone. Burglary is an awful crime, not only for what is stolen but because of the frightening sense of invasion it lends.

Burglars have been known to case houses by pretending to go door-to-door selling things, or asking for directions, ringing the bell to try and get a look inside and to figure out of the residents are local or foreigners. That said, it is important to stress that these crimes seldom, if ever, involve violence of any description so there is no need for undue alarm.

It may seem like common sense, but your best defence is to make your house look as lived in as possible while you are away. The most effective solution is to employ a house sitter for the duration of your holiday. However, this may not be an option, so Expat Echo has compiled a security check-list to help protect your home this holiday season:

• Do not advertise your absence; tell only trusted friends of your planned trip out of town.
• Make sure your house has a lived-in appearance from the outside.
• Notify your security company (if applicable) of the dates of your absence. And, don’t forget to set your alarm!
• Arrange for a relative, trusted friend, or trusted neighbour to check your home regularly.
• Ask the above not to tell strangers, friends, colleagues or repairmen of your absence.
• Have a trusted neighbour retrieve the mail on a daily basis.
• Cancel newspapers and all other deliveries, or arrange for a trusted neighbour to pick them up.
• Arrange to have your snow shovelled.
• Put jewellery, furs, cameras, coin collections, etc. in a safe deposit box or other secure place.
• DO NOT leave house keys anywhere outside of the house. Leave a key with a trusted neighbour, in case of emergency. Similarly, do not leave any spare car keys in the house.
• Check your personal effects insurance policy as many local polices are quite restrictive and you are in for a battle should you need to make a claim. We recommend you get a policy from your home country.
• If you have metal roller blinds put them down. Even though this gives a vacant impression these are very good protection.
• If possible, fit motion sensor lights – the brighter the better. These are quite effective at deterring would be intruders. OBI

Of course, your being at home is not always a deterrent to the determined burglar. There have been incidents when the house is burgled while the family are sleeping upstairs or even enjoying a family movie together. It is easy to forget to set the alarm at times like these, making you more vulnerable to break ins. A good fail safe is to install sensors on doors that beep when they are opened. Also, never leave your keys, purse or briefcase by the door as they can be the targets of quick snatches. Always make sure your alarms are on and in full working order at night. Security firms should also be able to provide you with a panic button, and will arrive within minutes of an alert. As alarms are routinely ignored by the public, it is a good idea to have yours connected to a private security firm who will come and check the situation immediately. Many of our clients have had good experiences with the following companies: Group 4 Securicor, InKal security, State of Guard Security and Rimi. These security firms can also be contracted to patrol the perimeter of you home, either exculsively or as part of a patrol of several houses.

Should your home be broken into be sure to inform the police immediately. The foreign language police hotline in Budapest is +36-1-438-8080 and can be reached from abroad. Throughout Europe the International Help line is 112.

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