You do all you can to make your home a safe and secure place to live, but these security measures happen everyday while you are at home. What happens when you leave to go out of town leaving the property vacant for days on end? Here are some helpful tips to protect your home while on vacation.
Lock Up
While turning the lock on your door may sound like an obvious tip, you may be surprised how many people miss an opening to their home. Lock every possible entry point to your home including garage doors especially those you usually don’t lock or deadbolt. Don’t overlook entry points such as pet doors that need to be secured before you leave. Vacation time is a good time to use those deadbolts. Lock every window and every door, and don’t leave out a spare key. Only give a spare to someone you absolutely trust.
Stop Mail and Ask Someone To Watch Your Property
Of course, have your mail stopped if you are gone for longer than a week day. Also, call upon the help of a trusting neighbor or friend who is willing to pop by your house. Ask them to keep an eye on your property to help pick up newspapers or packages that are delivered. Your home can become a target when would-be crooks watch and notice that a newspaper has not been picked up or mail or a package has been sitting on the porch for awhile. Don’t let this happen to you. If you are gone for a few days or longer, have your lawn mowed and flowers or garden watered. If you are gone during winter or fall months, have someone shovel the driveway or rake the leaves.
Lights, Action, Sound
Among the best tips to protect your home while on vacation include making your home looked as if it is currently occupied. This can be accomplished by using timers to turn on and off lights or electronics and television sets that produce noise that is often all you need to make a crook think twice before attempting entry.
Social Media
Be careful what you post on social media. While you may think only your friends are seeing your posts, the best rule of thumb is to understand that anything you post online can become public quickly. Don’t mention specific dates or locations as to when you will be gone. Wait to post your vacation photos instead of checking in or announcing you are at the airport.
Safe
Put your valuable inside your home safe before you leave. Valuables to lock up before you leave include anything you will not be bringing along for the trip such as cash, jewelry, heirlooms, and any important papers. Of course, make sure your safe is bolted to a floor board or safely installed properly inside a wall so the crook cannot grab it and run.
Follow these tips to protect your home while on vacation and rest assured your property will be secure while you are away. Contact a knowledgeable professional locksmith to discuss any security issues and whether or not better locks or security systems are needed to protect your home.