Going out of town to take a break from the mundane everyday grind can definitely be good for you, but before you start packing your bags and heading out the door, think about the risks that you are placing your personal properties and entire home in. Apparently, an empty house is a surefire magnet for robberies and break-ins.
If the thought of this terrifies you, the best thing that you can do is to keep your home and belongings as safe and secure as possible. However, having a safe and installing a security system are not the only ways that you can do so.
Lock Everything
Locking your home is, of course, the most basic thing to do, and if you’re off to a long vacation, you need to double-check absolutely all doors and windows and keep them locked, including dead bolts. You might want to test the locks and see to it that it can’t be broken easily by burglars using basic tools.
There can be other entryways to the home that you don’t usually mind leaving unlocked, such as the garage or the window to the bathroom. Lurking robbers can easily climb into your bathroom, step on your toilet, and enter your home effortlessly. You can also reinforce the base of your windows or sliding doors with a yardstick or any other tool to keep them from being opened from the outside.
Stop the Mail
One dead giveaway of an empty home is an overflowing mailbox. Before heading out for a vacation, make sure to stop any mail or package delivery until you get home. Courier companies can also give you the option to hold your packages at a pickup location.
Don’t forget to include your newspaper subscription; having a pile of them in your front porch is a clear sign that nobody is home. If stopping your deliveries isn’t possible, ask someone you trust, whether your neighbor or a nearby relative, to pick up these packages and keep your mail while you’re away.
Use Timers on Your Electronics
A house that remains dark the entire week is not a good thing to leave when you go on a long trip away from home. However, it’s also impractical to leave the lights on for the entire time that you’re away. Luckily, there are various kinds of timers that work by turning your lights and other electronics on and off at specific times of the day.
When setting them up, you’d want to make sure that your lamps and appliances are switched on at random intervals; otherwise, potential burglars can recognize this pattern and take it as their go signal.
Check All Fixtures before You Leave for Your Trip
No one wants to be greeted by a nasty surprise right after they just had a refreshing time at the beach or some wonderful place somewhere in the world. Checking the state of your home appliances is one of the most basic things to do, but there may be people who can get too complacent and just take off without doing last-minute checks.
This step is important especially if a house sitter or any family member who isn’t going with you will be left at home and doesn’t know how the fixtures work. For example, if you have old toilets that have the tendency to clog up or have problematic flushing mechanisms, you can have those replaced with upflush models before you leave for your trip. This reduces the likelihood of you having to cut your trip short because you need to rush home and oversee repairs.
Hire Someone to Take Care of Your Lawn
When your lawn is unkempt, that usually means no one is there to take care of it. If you’re going on an extended vacation, one of the best tips that you can do to protect your home is to make it seem like someone is still attending to it. You can hire a landscaping company or pay your neighbor kid to clear your lawn. If you’re going away in winter, it’s also best to find someone who will shovel the snow off your driveway and sidewalks.
Avoid Social Media
Today, almost everyone is on social media—even the robbers who may be keeping an eye on the neighborhood. Keep this in mind while you’re on vacation, and avoid oversharing your whereabouts on the internet.
While it is tempting to post your vacation photos in real time, broadcasting to the world that you are not at home at the moment should entice burglars to seize the opportunity. For sure, your Instagrammable photos can wait to be uploaded until you get home.
Vacations should be moments that excite you—not keep you worried till you’re at your wits’ end. Doing your best to keep your home safe while you’re away should help you make these moments fun and enjoyable, just as they should be.
