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Securing Your Home Before Going on Vacation Tips
Put Mail/Newspaper Delivery On Hold
When no one is home for a stretch of time, be it because of a vacation or business trip, the world does not stop spinning. That means that your mail and newspapers and milk delivery (if you live in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood) can pile up in front of your house.
A stack of mail and newspapers is a clear sign to burglars that no one is home and might not be back for a while. Now they feel confident that they have all the time in the world to get into your house and take what they want, leaving you with an unpleasant surprise that can ruin the best of vacations.
Before you leave, consider your security at home. Ask one of your neighbors if they can pick these things up for you and hold them until you get back. If there is no one that can do this for you call the Post Office, newspaper company and any other organizations you receive deliveries from. Ask them to put a hold on all your shipments until you return.
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Let Trusted Neighbors Know When You're Away
Everyone deserves a vacation now and then, but no one deserves to return to a home that has been burglarized. So before you board that plane, train or automobile, talk to your neighbors and neighborhood watch. Let them know where you will be and how long you will be gone.
Members of the neighborhood watch can do a few extra walkthroughs on your street to make sure there is nothing suspicious going on. Your neighbors can keep an eye out to make sure no one is on your property that should not be.
If you do not communicate your plans to someone they may not think it’s necessary to keep an eye out for your house. By telling people you trust that you will be away for a while you can have the peace of mind that someone is looking out for your security at home.
Whomever you choose to tell, be sure to also add them to your emergency contact list. That way your home’s security system company can inform them of any incidents. Having a next-door neighbor or member of the crime watch on your contact list is a great way to help secure your home.
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Get A House-Sitter
Having a friend or relative spend a few days at your house while you are away is a great way of helping to avoid being burglarized. They especially come in handy if you have pets that need to be taken care of or plants that need to be watered.
If you choose to have someone stay in your house there are a few things to do before you leave. Make sure that your neighbors and neighborhood watch know that someone else will be staying there. No one wants a trip to be interrupted by a phone call from home because their brother was mistakenly arrested for attempted burglary.
Also, take the time to make sure that your house-sitter is familiar with your home security alarm. They should be able to arm and disarm the system and know the password in case the monitoring company has to call. Remind them to arm the security alarm system whenever they leave the house.
The last thing is to leave contact numbers where you can be reached. If anything does happen while you are gone your house-sitter should be able to reach you in case of emergency. Make sure to leave as many numbers as possible, including cellular and hotel phones.
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Arm The Security System Before You Leave!
While it may sound obvious, you would be amazed at how often this happens. So here is the best advice when leaving for vacation: ARM YOUR HOME SECURITY SYSTEM!
If you do not activate your security alarm system it cannot do anything to protect your home while you are away. The last thing you want is to get back from Hawaii to find out that you were robbed because you forgot to activate the alarm.
Many home security alarm systems, such as those from Protect America, allow you to control lights in your house with timers. When your lights go on every night at 6 p.m. it gives the illusion that someone is home and will often make burglars think twice before trying to break in.
Make sure all bulbs and light fixtures are in working order before you leave and that they are plugged into surge protectors for extra safety.
Activating security alarm systems is the first step, but complimenting that with automated light timers provides both a deterrent and protection.
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Clean Outside Your House Before Leaving
Security at home starts on the outside. Before taking a vacation look at the front of your property from the street. This will give you a view of what everyone else passing by will see. You want to leave the impression that someone is home and discourage would-be thieves from trying to break in.
In addition to the inside of your house, complete any yard maintenance that needs to be done before you leave. Especially if you will be gone for a while. If a burglar sees that your lawn is becoming overgrown and that no one has taken care of the garden or trees in your yard, they might put two and two together and realize you are out of town.
Here is a checklist to get you started.
Mow the grass
Trim hedges and bushes
Trim tree branches, especially any that might reach toward a window of your house
If you have any type of fruit tree that fruit falls off of, pick up any that drop
Water and care for gardens
Sweep walkways and driveways
Make sure all exterior lighting/home security systems is in working order
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Check Alarm Back-up Battery
Some home security systems come with a back-up battery that can last for up to 18 hours. These batteries are meant to ensure the security of your home even during a power outage.
Before leaving for vacation, check the status of your back-up battery to make sure that it is fully charged. This way even if there is a power outage in the neighborhood while you are away the alarm should still maintain your security at home.
Once the electricity comes back in the house the back-up battery should begin to recharge itself. The 18 hour lifespan of the battery should keep your home protected during any service interruptions, but just in case the outage is longer than that let a trusted neighbor know.
If the power is off for more than 18 hours they can let you know and you can walk them through re-activating your home security alarm properly once electricity is restored. If your back-up expires before 18 hours contact the security company to let them know about the problem. They may be able to fix the issue or replace the battery with a new one for you.
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Call Forwarding
It has become a common and equally dangerous practice for people to change their messages on answering machines, voice-mail or e-mail letting others know they are out of town and will be away for a while. This severely weakens your security at home.
If a burglar suspects that you may not be home and tries to find out by looking up your number and calling, that message can cause a lot of trouble. Now they know that no one is home and the house is ripe for the picking.
Only tell the people that you trust and feel you need to notify when you are leaving your home for longer than a day. This could include family and neighborhood watch members. Let everyone else assume that you are still home. A great way to do this is call-forwarding.
If your telephone service provider offers this option, you can have any calls made to your home phone forwarded directly to your cellular phone. When you answer it will give the impression that your are at home, even when you are hundreds or thousands of miles away.
