The last thing you should have to worry about while away on vacation is whether or not your home is safe and secure. Protect your property when you're out of town and avoid potential theft with these helpful tips.
Check your alarm system. Make sure your alarm system is working, and alert your alarm company that you’ll be traveling. Don’t be afraid to advertise your security with a sign from a security company.
Complete home maintenance beforehand. Summer home maintenance should be simple! Take a day or two before your trip to make sure everything is up to date in your home.
Leave a key with a trusted family or friend. Leave an extra key with someone you trust in case something goes wrong while you’re on vacation. If you’ll be away for an extended period of time, it may be a wise idea to ask them to stop by once or twice a week and see if anything looks out of the ordinary.
Hold your mail and subscriptions. Mail piling up outside or a stack of newspapers on your doorstep is a dead giveaway that you’re out of town. Ask your local post office about holding your mail, and pause any subscriptions or subscription boxes that are delivered to your doorstep.
Keep valuables in a fireproof home vault or safe. Lock up important papers such as wills and the deed to your home in a fireproof safe alongside any other valuables before leaving your home unattended.
Don’t flaunt your leave on social media. Never announce your vacation plans on social media if you can help it. If you feel the need to share about your vacation, make sure your settings are as private as possible.
Disconnect your garage door. Experienced criminals can easily hack your garage door, so it would be wise to disengage your garage door opener for the time being.
Buy an outdoor sensor light. Outdoor sensor lights are a great way to divert thieves without much effort. Investing in a few motion-sensor flood lights can prove useful for keeping unwanted visitors of your property.
Keep lights on a timer. A dark house draws attention. Put your indoor lights on a timer, and keep one or two soft lights on overnight so it looks like someone is at home.
Close your blinds. You don’t want anyone snooping to see if there’s any movement in your home, so be sure to close your blinds before you leave for vacation. This will also help keep the temperature cooler inside of your home while the AC isn’t on full blast.
Relocate hidden keys. Potential thieves will likely check for hidden keys around your front, back and garage doors. Don’t leave room for them to enter easily – remove hidden keys before you head out.
Double check that all doors and windows are locked. Before leaving for vacation, do a walk-through of your home to check that all doors and windows are locked.
Before you leave for vacation, make sure your home is as secure as possible. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your alarm and insurance companies for more insight as to how you can protect your property while you’re out of town.
