When it’s time to leave for vacation, your bags are all packed, the tickets for the flight are in your flight app, and your hotel accommodations have already been booked. Some families stop mail for the week, and they find someone to look after their pets.
But what about the security of your home? As you can imagine, reports of home burglaries rise during the summer months when robbers know people are away on vacation. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to secure your property before you leave for your trip:
Outside the House
Keep lawn maintenance running. If you normally mow your own grass, this is the perfect time to hire a neighborhood teenager you can trust to keep the grass trimmed while your family is away.
Stop the mail. Think about the normal deliveries coming to your house. Contact the post office to request mail deliveries be suspended while you are away, or you can have a neighbor hold your mail for you.
Lock the shed and garage. When people are watching your home, they recognize your detached shed or garage would be the first structure to be left unlocked. Make sure there is a lock on the door and no way to get in through any windows.
Remove hidden keys outside. Burglars know where homeowners hide keys. Before you leave on vacation, give your keys to the people who will be checking on your home while you are gone.
Inside the House
Set interior lights on timers. The goal is to make it look like someone is home. Many burglars staking out a home try to determine if anyone is home. By setting timers on the lights, it will look like someone is actually home.
Contact your alarm company. If your alarm company knows you will be on vacation, they can pay extra attention to your home to be ready in case someone enters your home unexpectedly.
Power surges. The weather can be unpredictable. It is a good idea to unplug expensive electronics while you are away in the event there is a power surge due to a thunderstorm or other unexplained reasons.
Secure valuables. Jewelry, coin collections, baseball cards, and other valuables should be placed in a safe deposit box. Move valuables away from windows where burglars might be able to see it.
Check the windows and doors. Make sure every window and door is locked, even if you always keep everything locked.
Protecting your pipes. If you are going on vacation during the winter, make sure your thermostat is set at 55 or higher. Also ask people who are checking on your home to turn on the faucets occasionally to be sure your pipes do not freeze.