5 budget-friendly ways to secure your home when going on a trip

Who does not want to feel secure when leaving their home for a vacation or a small trip out of town? Securing your home does not have to be extensive or expensive. You can easily secure your home with these 5 tips.

Install your own Home Security System
You have probably seen some houses with big security systems, allowing the owners to see what happens around their home even when they are not there. These systems are often expensive and complicated to install. However, you can quite easily make your own home security system. It does not have to be crazy expensive or involve big installations.

Most of us have one or more old smartphones hidden in a drawer somewhere. Maybe there is nothing wrong with them, or maybe they need to get the screen or camera fixed. This is easily done, for example at iExpert, who offers walk-in service on iPhone repairs.

If you have one of these old smartphones, you can use it to make your own video surveillance. There are plenty of apps offering good and cheap solutions. All you have to do is put up the smartphone in your hallway, at your office, or wherever you want surveillance. Then the camera will automatically start when there is motion in the room. Then you can oversee any activity directly on your smartphone.

Team up with your neighbours
It is always nice to know the people who live nearby, but you can also benefit from it when you are going away on bigger or smaller trips.

An overflowing mailbox is an obvious sign that might tempt uninvited guests. Also, if all the garbage bins on the street except yours are taken out on a specific day, it is easy to see that you are not home at the moment.

Ask your neighbours to keep an eye on your house, empty your mailbox, and take the garbage out on the weekly garbage collection day. You can also ask one of your neighbours to park their car at your place to make it look like someone is there.

Remember doors and windows
Do not make it easy for someone to break in. Remember to always lock your door when leaving the house – also when you are just running quick errands.

Depending on your current door(s), it might be a good idea to consider changing it/them to a more solid version. The same goes for the locks.

As for the windows, you can easily install window stops. These will make sure that you can open your windows enough to get fresh air inside, but not enough for a person to climb through.

Use motion lights around your house
If motion lights are not already part of your exterior, you should definitely invest in some. It is hard for uninvited guests to sneak around if the light turns on as soon as they approach the house. Any intruders will be easy to see, and the lights might scare them off and make them abort their mission.

In addition, the motion lights will be an advantage for yourself when you come home after dark and need light to find your keys, the lock, etc.

Save your social media posts until you get back
As tempting as it may be to brag about your upcoming trip on social media, you should save the posts for when you come back. Telling your friends, acquaintances – and everybody else who can see your posts – that you are going away and your home will be empty in the coming days is an open invitation to intruders.




  • How saying ‘yes’ to doing things led international Martijn Koekkoek to carve out a career in networking in Denmark

    How saying ‘yes’ to doing things led international Martijn Koekkoek to carve out a career in networking in Denmark

    Entrepreneurship wasn’t on the cards for Koekkoek when he moved to Copenhagen 15 years ago, but both by design and necessity, he laid the foundations of Everybody Networks Here—a networking community that encourages internationals to come as they are and connect over shared stories, passions, and struggles in an informal and inclusive setting.

  • Is Denmark’s budget surplus thanks to internationals?

    Is Denmark’s budget surplus thanks to internationals?

    Between 2002 to 2023, Denmark’s annual public balances have been underestimated by an average of 1,8% of GDP each year by the Ministry of Finance. The continued error accumulates 1,049 billion DKK unaccounted for the whole 20-year span. As the Danish government increasingly attracted international residents over that period, to what extent are internationals contributing to the country’s economic growth?

  • Bringing international theatre to the masses

    Bringing international theatre to the masses

    In a continually more globalized Copenhagen, the international crowds’ increasing demands for English entertainment have so far not been met. Now, an English-language theatre troupe, made up of internationals, is trying to bring Nordic high culture to the international crowd of Denmark

  • Trained nurses trapped in the system: Is it discrimination?

    Trained nurses trapped in the system: Is it discrimination?

    Despite language skills and years of experience, international healthcare professionals are unemployed due to system failures at SIRI and hospital recruitment.

  • Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen removed as CEO of Novo Nordisk

    Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen removed as CEO of Novo Nordisk

    According to a “mutual agreement” between board members of the global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen will step down from his position as CEO. He was appointed at this position since January 2017

  • “More internationals should learn Danish”: interview to Studieskolen director

    “More internationals should learn Danish”: interview to Studieskolen director

    Qasim Shaikh, Managing Director of Studieskolen since August 2024, comments on the survey, pointing out that more Danes are becoming uncomfortable with English replacing Danish: “More internationals should consider learning the language. It would make their lives here easier.”