Precious and Personal #spon

In my mid-twenties, I was living a carefree life in a little bungalow in a little town in Co. Wicklow. I didn’t have much but I was happy. The bungalow used to belong to my grandmother and I was delighted to have a few of her old possessions dotted around my home.

One evening I returned home from working late and noticed that I must have left the bedroom window open. When I entered the house, I slowly realised something was amiss. It’s a very disconcerting feeling to walk into your own home and realise that an intruder has been there in your absence. As I took in the open bedside drawers and misshapen dressing table, it slowly dawned on me that I had been burgled. A cold veil spread over me and my senses heightened. The first question that ran through my mind was whether they were still in the house, the second – had they taken my grandmothers trinkets?

Fortunately neither was the case. They had stolen random items – CDs, clothes and a necklace that a good friend had given to me. Thankfully most of it was replaceable.

Looking back now I’m glad I had that early warning experience, because as the years go by and your family and possessions increase in numbers, there’s more to lose.

A recent survey by Liberty Insurance revealed that almost half (47%) of respondents don’t have an alarm on their home, and 17% of Irish people admitted they don’t lock their front door when they are leaving their home unattended.

But why make things easier for them? Aren’t those irreplaceable objects worth a little more care and attention? I think sometimes we believe it will never happen to us – but with over 26,000 burglaries in Ireland last year it would be very naive to go on living ‘on a wing and a prayer’.

So if you’re planning on going away this summer, here are a few handy home safety tips from LibertyInsurance on keeping your home safe when you’re on holiday.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in conjunction with Liberty Insurance. All words and images are my own.