05 Dec Easy-to-Miss Home Security Tips for your Vacation
Easy-to-Miss Home Security Tips for your Vacation
If you’re relaxing on a Caribbean beach, visiting family in another city or enjoying a bus tour through historic Paris, the last thing you want to worry about is your home. Most people know the basics of keeping a home secure while away. Here are some additional home security tips that are easy to miss:
- Tell your kids not to boast about your fabulous vacation plans, especially on social media. The fewer who know that the house is empty, the better.
- Ask a neighbour to pick up any mail dropped at your doorstep.
- Have someone check the house periodically and ensure they have the contact details for you while you are away. If you are away for an extended period of time, check your insurance policy and see what is required to maintain your policy.
- Check your exterior lighting. Utilize motion sensor detector lights or install or set timers on outdoor security lights.
- Set-up timers to automatically turn lights on and off, as well as on electronics inside your house, i.e. a lamp or even a radio. However, most will stop working if the power goes out and they’ll restart with the incorrect time when the power comes back on. That’s why you should keep at least a couple of lights turned on continuously and have someone checking your home.
- Lock all your windows and doors. Don’t forget about doors leading to the garage, second-story windows and sheds.
- Open the blinds. If you’re leaving in the evening, or before dawn, this can be easy to forget. Closed blinds during the day are a dead giveaway that the owners are away.
- Hire someone to help you shovel walkways, and if possible take the trash out for you, keeping your home from looking unoccupied.
- Test the smoke alarms. See that all alarms are in working order and replace any batteries.
- Test the security system or exterior cameras installed. Check that all sensors/cameras are working.
- Turn the water off. Although not a security feature, turning the water off at the main shut off is a preventive tactic and taking this step will help prevent coming home to a surprise leak.
- Secure your valuables. If you don’t already have your jewelry or other valuables in a secure space such as a home safe, now might be the time to do so. Don’t leave valuables out in plain sight.
- Park a vehicle in the driveway. Keeping an extra vehicle in the driveway or asking a neighbor to park their vehicle might help deter potential burglars.
- Don’t leave spare keys outdoors. Collect any hidden spare keys from around the exterior of your home. Remember, many burglars know about popular hiding places, like beneath mats and in potted plants.
Finally, experts recommend creating a home security checklist, so you don’t forget anything. Ensuring you have performed some basic home security tips can give you the peace-of-mind to focus on enjoying your vacation.
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