Everyone waits for that time of year when they can just pack up and head out of town for a little rest and relaxation. But if your home is not properly protected against unwanted visitors, your vacation might not be the getaway that you had planned on. Follow these basic steps that can, above and beyond your regular home security system, help safeguard your home while you are away, and allow you to rest easy, knowing that your home is in the best possible situation, though unattended.
First, try to prepare your home so that it is not obvious that no one is there. Leave one or two outdoor lights on, as well as a bathroom light inside, so as to look like people are coming and going from the house. There are even electric window candles that can be activated using a timer, making it seem as if someone inside the house turned them on at dusk. The same can be done with a kitchen radio, so as to generate the appearance of a bit of commotion inside.
Arrange with a friend or neighbor to pick up the daily newspaper and the mail. It is also possible, of course, to have these items held at the post office, but even then, there are people being tipped off that the home will be left unattended for however many days or weeks. The better option is to have someone drop by on a daily basis to gather things up. They can also take a quick glance around your property to make sure that everything looks normal, and that there are no overturned garbage bins, fallen branches, or debris of any kind in the yard that is another obvious clue that the house’s inhabitants are not around.
If you have an answering machine at your house, don’t forget to call and check it and remove some of the messages, so your machine does not become full and unable to accept more messages. This is a sure sign that there is no one in the house and is an obvious tip-off to potential burglars.
Before leaving for your vacation, take a once-over of the house, inside and out, the check on door and window locks, and double-check the motion detectors and sensors associated with your home security system. Further secure sliding doors and windows, which are difficult to lock more securely than with a superficial switch lock, by placing a pole or pipe in the slide track to brace the doors closed.
Call your home alarm system company to alert them that you will be out of town, and let a neighbor and some friends that live nearby know that you will be gone so they can keep an eye on your home.
If you have the time, do some extra safeguarding inside your home, in case of a worst-case scenario of an intruder actually gaining access into your home. Hide your valuables or lock them up in a code-protected safe. Photograph large valuables and expensive electronics, like stereos, TV sets, computers, and video and camera equipment, as evidence to be used in insurance cases in case of theft.
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