Everyone looks forward to vacation. It’s the one, or perhaps two, weeks that you can get away from everything, forget about your worries and live life as you always wanted to.
But, that doesn’t mean it’s completely carefree. You still have a home to consider, and one of the biggest concerns is that it’s broken into while you’re away. Social media sites have made it easier for criminals to target houses.
Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to protect your home while you’re away.
An Alarm System
The traditional approach is commercial alarm systems. These are designed to monitor the inside of your home and activate if a sensor is tripped. They are usually connected to a monitoring center which will call to confirm your keyword.
When the call goes unanswered or the keyword is unknown the police are notified and dispatched to your home.
The best part is that these alarm systems are visible outside of the home, effectively deterring many thieves as there are easier targets for them to go after.
Smart Devices
A great extra to your alarm system is smart devices. In effect, you hook your electronics up to your home network and you can then access it from anywhere in the world, providing you have internet.
Cameras fitted inside your home will allow you to verify everything is okay. A camera fitted to a smart doorbell will allow you to speak at the door and see who is there, even if you’re on the other side of the planet.
You’ll also be able to control lights and stereos. If you turn these on randomly you’ll make it appear like someone is in the house, deterring many criminals.
This does more than deter as it allows you to see inside your home. You’ll be able to get peace of mind knowing that everything is okay or you can contact the police yourself.
Friendly Neighbor
Another traditional, but very valuable approach is your neighbors. Neighbors are the best defense against criminals around your house or the area in general, that’s why so many districts offer neighborhood watch schemes.
A trusted neighbor will notice anything unusual at your house and can even check the house daily for you. They should never feel the need to intervene if there is an issue, but they can contact the police and monitor what is happening, potentially helping any culprits to be caught.
Maintenance
Don’t forget to maintain your yard and house before you go on vacation. The tidier and well-cared for the house looks the less of a target it will be. This is because it will be harder for an unknown person to get near it and attempt to break in.
Overgrown hedges make it easy for would-be intruders to hide and take their time getting in. Simply maintaining your yard will help to deter them.
In short, don’t make it easy for the intruders. While you may leave a key with a neighbor never leave one hidden for emergencies, they’ll probably find it. A little common sense goes a long way.
