Putting a holiday all over SM while you're still away

[EhatBow]

Doesn't it worry you to tell the world the house is empty for 2 weeks?

People do things like automated lights and curtains to try and make the place look occupied and then spend the holiday posting pictures.

When I was a child my parents wouldn't eveb have milk or papers delivered so they didn't have to cancel them (thereby telling people) when we were away, so I accept my normal may be extreme, but isn't it foolish to go out of your way to publicise when you're away?

It’s like those people who go on This Morning or GMB and announce how hot it is in Dubai or how the airport delays are affecting them

It's only on MN have I ever heard about the curtains and automatic lights.

really?

I think OP is right. I don't post anything until I get home.

If I take a particularly nice picture I'll email it to close friends and family but that's it. I don't trust the "private" feature at all.

I will say it's very easy to match up info from a number of sources & work out things though eg your address doesn't need to be on facebook for someone to work it out.

It's only on MN have I ever heard about the curtains and automatic lights.

We use timers on our lights if we're away for more than one night.
We also have an alarm, cctv and a cat sitter who visits twice a day so I don't feel anxious about posting a couple of pictures on social media.

I highly doubt I'd get burgled by one of my friends so, yes, I might post whilst still away. Don't you trust your friends?

My parents move in when we’re away or we house swap so house isn’t empty

No I don't think a friend is likely to burgle me, but the more people who know, the greater te chances. What about their son's dodgy friend, or someone who overhears them talking about their lucky friend from no 22 who's in Mauritius?

Also everything worth nicking (tech Dh v expensive bike) we have with us! If they want our old telly knock yourself out

We have light timers but they come on daily, not just while we are away. When we are away we have house sitters so our place is never empty. However I still don't post while I'm away. I wait until I'm back. The risk is simply not worth it.

Yes, if you know a name and a rough area, an address isn't hard to find

It's not what they take, it's the mess and destruction they leave looking for it

That’s down to your friends SM not being private to friends only

If I have it set to only friends seeing my posts, then if my friends comment, friends of friends still don’t see it. Of course someone could screenshot it and share it but I’m really not that exciting. So no it’s far less of a risk than an obviously-empty house.

But I’m any case I prefer to post when I’m back, and just put up a carefully chosen few photos, instead of 79 a day while I’m away.

I don't know how true this is but apparently your house insurance 'could' be voided if you're burgled, and have posted the fact you are away on SM

not true but they do expect "reasonable care" to be taken.

It’s obvious which houses are empty …. there’s a heatwave and their windows are all shut day and night.

Most people these days will have some form of security, be it neighbours/family members keeping an eye on the place, alarms, ring doorbells, cctv, lights on timers, house sitters, I use to love house sitting when I was younger, I would always house sit for my friends parents who went away 3-4 times a year, they lived right next to the beach, it was fab. I had a friend who did it to earn extra money, she rented a spare room with one of our friends parents because she didn’t need a permanent address as she’d spend most weeks house sitting somewhere. She loves animals so people would rather pay her to stay at their house looking after their pets than put them in kennels.
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Not everyone lives in a standard house which is open to the street. I live in an apartment building with 24 hour security staff. It’s a big building, but we know lots of our neighbours well. It would take quite some effort to burgle us on the top floor and get stuff out past the neighbours and security. Safest place we’ve ever lived.

I do post pics on SM when on holiday, but only to selected people. Some of them don’t know my address… and even if they did, they wouldn’t get past the front desk of our building.

I highly doubt I'd get burgled by one of my friends so, yes, I might post whilst still away. Don't you trust your friends?

over 40% of victims know the burglar & live close. Not as bad as murder stats though!

My FB/Insta can only been seen by friends, only very few people know my address, i have a cat feeder come round while we're away, we have great neighbours who WFH and keep an eye on the house.

Also everything worth nicking (tech Dh v expensive bike) we have with us! If they want our old telly knock yourself out

these days lots of burglars just want to steal some personal data eg bank statement

lots of people talking about house sitters but again the majority of burglaries happen when someone is home & during the day.

I'm not bothered if the house gets robbed whilst I'm holiday. I'd be just glad that I wasn't there and me and my family potentially in any danger. The stuff can be replaced. But I still wouldn't put it on social media in case the insurers found out and wouldn't pay out.

I never post on FB until we're on our way back or home. Chances are it would be fine, but I'd really not like to take the risk of someone taking advantage (you don't know who your friends may talk to - "my friend is in Florida at the moment" etc). Don't really care if that makes me sound paranoid, but what's the need to post to announce you are away?

My sm is private and only my true friends are able to see it. My address and phone number isn't on it