Remember the plot from Home Alone? A home with no occupants for days is like a welcome note to burglars. Statistics reveal that a burglary happens once every 25 seconds, and 73% of the time when there’s no one at home.
Break-ins are pretty common during summers because that’s when most families are away on vacation. Needless to say, your valuables and everything else at home need to be kept safe while you’re holidaying.
Let’s share some time-tested tips to protect your home from burglars when you go on a long vacation.
Don’t Let Your Home Look Abandoned
If you’re going away for a long vacation, don’t tell your maintenance agency to take the days off. Let the regular maintenance for the lawns and the pool continue. Your house should not look abandoned to outsiders, especially to burglars who find abandoned homes as easy targets.
If you take care of the outdoor maintenance yourself, then see if you can get your neighbor or a local agency to look after the lawns, etc for the time being. You can also ask a responsible neighborhood kid to do the job for some pocket money.
Don’t Leave Your Home Keys In A Hide-Out
What’s your secret hide-out for house keys? The doormat? The Flower Pot? The Fake Rock? Your Mailbox? People think it’s a smart move to hide their house keys when they go on vacation. But let’s warn you, most burglars are already aware of such hiding spots.
If you leave the keys outdoors, your home is very likely to get burgled. A better plan is to leave the keys with a trustworthy neighbor or friend. Or better still, install a keyless entry lock.
Hold Out Your Mail And Other Deliveries
A pile of old newspapers collected at your doorstep and an overflowing mailbox are major giveaways. Any passerby would know that no one’s been home for a long time. To avoid this situation, instruct the newspaper service to stop deliveries while you’re away. Also, leave a hold-mail request with USPS or your local post office.
You may be expecting missed packages from online subscriptions and shopping sites. Opt for a secure package receiving service. Your deliveries will be received at a trusted location from where you can pick them up once you return from holiday.
Use Home Automation To Your Advantage
If you’ve got a home automation system, you can set timers for interior and exterior lights. Having the home lighting go on and off, as usual, will give an impression that your house is occupied.
If you don’t want to spend money on expensive automation systems, you could simply get motion sensor outdoor lights. Many affordable options are available in hardware stores and also online. Usually, these lighting fixtures can be timed to go on and off at certain times.
Secure All Entrances
Pretty obviously, you’ll have to double-check that all doors and windows are secure before you leave the house. If you have an automatic garage door opener, you need to be extra cautious because sometimes they can be opened with universal remote controls.
To ease your mind, you should consider installing a home security system from a reputable alarm company. The latest technology allows you to monitor your home remotely. Before leaving for the vacation, don’t forget to inform the alarm company that you’ll not be home for a few days.
Keep Valuables In A Safe
Thieves may break into your house despite the best security measures. Be proactive. Keep your most valuable possessions safe. Buy a small vault safe where you can lock in jewelry, cash and other expensive items.
Don’t want to spend on a safe? Then you’ll have to think of some weird place like a flour jar or air vents to hide the items. But please don’t leave your valuables in the closet because that’s the first place any burglar will go looking.
Holidays are for winding down. No one wants a nasty surprise when they get back from a good long vacation. These measures will ensure that your home and valuables remain safe. With these precautions in place, we hope you’ll enjoy a stress-free holiday!
