Are you headed out on vacation but worried about what t might be happening back home? Many people spend their vacations worrying about the daily routine of ordinary life; left to your own devices, your house will fall into disrepair and eventually be destroyed by roving bands of criminals. To keep this from happening, here are eight ways you can protect your home while you’re away:
1. Utilize A Home Security System
The first step to protecting your home is ensuring that it’s protected against burglars who have no intention of being caught or wounded during an attempted break-in. This is where a security system comes in handy – there are almost more options for these than stars in the sky! Do some research on which system would be best for your home, and set it up prior to leaving.
2. Don’t Let Your Mailbox Fill Up
Nothing says “rob me” like a mailbox that’s spilling over with uncollected mail; in fact, we recommend taking this one step further and not letting your mail pile up even before you leave for vacation! There are several reasons why having a full mailbox is a bad idea: there may be important information contained within which you wouldn’t want to miss, but more importantly, when you get back from vacation, the postal service will already know when exactly they should start delivering your mail (that would be after it sat in the heat or cold for however many days).
3. Lend A Hand To Your Neighbors
Neighbors can be a huge help while you’re out of town; they may keep an eye on your home and stop by periodically to make sure nothing suspicious is going on. Drop hints to your neighbors that you’ll be gone (leaving the garage door open, for instance) and ask them if they’d like anything from your house while you’re away; maybe they want to borrow some sugar or ketchup.
4. Get Fencing
Fencing your home isn’t just for dogs; its height and solidity make it very difficult to climb over, which is why criminals tend to shy away from homes with sturdy fencing. A fence like this will make you feel more secure, knowing that even if someone did break in, they’d have a hard time getting back out again. Get horizontal composite fence panels for the job — they’re tough enough to keep out any burglar!
5. Invest In Outdoor Lighting
When it’s dark outside, you can’t see what’s going on around your house. While you’d probably still hear if someone was trying to break in, that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t have ample time to do so before being caught. Light up your home with floodlights, so you don’t have to worry about being left in the dark when night falls. And don’t forget about motion detector lighting — not only will this light up your lawn every time a stray animal or errant bird crosses its path, but criminals tend to avoid these areas as well (assuming there’s no cover).
6. Make Your Home Look Occupied
If a house looks like it’s been abandoned for a long time, criminals are going to be much more tempted to break in and loot the place. Make it look as though someone is still living there by setting timers for your lights or radios or TVs, especially if you have an electronic home security system that has outdoor notification capabilities. This will make your house seem livelier than ever!
7. Get An Indoor Dog
You can’t be around all the time to watch your house, so why not bring the protection home with you? When you get a dog, they’ll bark whenever anyone gets too close — this will discourage criminals from even trying to enter your home. Plus, dogs just have a tendency to make the place look occupied! Make sure you go for a small dog breed that can live comfortably indoors since larger breeds tend to overheat in enclosed spaces.
8. Keep Your House Locked Up
Last but not least, it’s important to remember that you should never leave your home unlocked — even if it’s just for a few minutes. A simple piece of tape across the door handle will usually do the trick, and there are plenty of inexpensive locks which can be attached to your windows as well. Don’t chance it — keep your house locked up tight while you’re away!
When you’re on vacation, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your home is safe. By following these eight tips, you can rest assured that your house will be just as protected while you’re away as it would be if you were there yourself.
