Prepare your Home for a Worry-free Vacation

Who doesn’t love vacation? You work really hard, so this is your chance to get away and do what you love. Whether it’s sitting on the beach or touring your favorite city, the excitement of planning your trip builds until the day finally comes to get out of town. But what about leaving your home all alone? Are you concerned if your home will be safe while you’re away? Of course, the best thing to do is have a house sitter stay at your house while you’re gone. It’s the perfect solution to ease your mind. But, for those of us who are not able to find someone to stay at their home, here are some other things you can do to help. 

• Set timers for your interior lights. This makes your home look like it’s occupied every night with lights turning on and off inside, which can deter burglars. Don’t forget to set exterior lights to timers as well!
• Alert your security system company. If you have an alarm system, let them know the dates you will be gone so they can pay special attention to your home if there are any alerts that happen to go off.
• Wait to post your vacation pics on social media until you’ve arrived back home. It may be tempting to share your excitement with your friends online, but it can alert people that your home is unoccupied and an easy target for a break-in. If you feel you can’t wait to share your photos, check your privacy settings to make sure just your close friends can see what you’re up to.
• Don’t leave spare keys hanging around outside. Most burglars know the popular hidden key spots. If you decide to have someone come over to check on the house/feed your pets/collect the mail or packages, give them a key before you leave so they have it. Or if you have a garage code, that might be easier than arranging a meet up time to hand off a physical key.
• ​Install a smart lock on your door. This is another good option to not leaving a physical spare key outside. A smart lock can allow you to open your door remotely using your cell phone. This will also alert you to when the person who is checking on your pets and collecting your mail is in your home. And you can set expiring codes, so when you no longer need someone to come over, the lock will deny that code and access to your home.
• Place a hold on your mail delivery. Don’t let your mail pile up while you’re gone. This is a nice sign in front of your house that no one has been home for a while.
• Double check all your windows and doors are securely latched, including the door to your garage.
• If you have a safe, secure your small valuables like jewelry or electronics there. Hide your valuables that can be seen through windows to deter theft. For larger valuables, close the curtains in those rooms that contain them.

Here’s to your care-free vacation, the way it’s meant to be!

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