Home Safety While You Are on Vacation

While we all look forward to a stress-free vacation, it can be just the opposite if we are worried about the home we left behind. Here are some tips to help you to secure your property and maintain peace of mind while you are away.

One of the most frequent times for home invasions is when families are away on vacation. Thieves know that they can pilfer uninterrupted. They can not only take hundreds or thousands of dollars’ worth of items but also ruin your sense of security.

Do you best to make sure that this doesn’t happen to you. Here are some ways you can increase your security.

* Place lights on timers – At the same time each night, outdoor porch and/or flood lights can come on to ward off intruders. In the morning they turn back off to give the illusion that someone is in the home.

* Use motion-sensitive lighting – Flood lights that react to movement can shed light on anyone creeping around your residence. Place them on the front edges of the house and also the back.

* Stop the mail – If you plan on being gone for a week or more, put in a request to have your mail kept at the post office until your return. This can down be done conveniently online. When you return, visit the post office to retrieve your mail and resume service.

* Stop newspaper service – A tell-tale sign that you are away is a big pile of newspapers in the driveway. Give yourself a couple days of leeway in case you have problems returning on time from a trip.

* Tell a trusted family member or neighbor where you are – They can check on your home, making sure that all doors are secure while you are away. This can be a deterrent to anyone watching your home to see when you leave. Also, keeping an itinerary lets them know where to get in touch with you in an emergency.

* Don’t post plans on social networking sites – This is along the same lines as posting the time of a funeral in the obituary. Letting others know when you will be out of town makes your home a prime target for robbery.

* Activate your alarm system – If you don’t have one, get one. Besides getting a break on your homeowner insurance, you also gain peace of mind. Some systems offer cell phone back-up in case the system goes down due to weather and also cameras so you can check in and see what is going on in your home. Before you set the alarm, ensure that all windows and doors are secure.

Are you going on vacation soon? Take precautions to protect what is yours while you are away.