Securing Your Home While You're Away

There is so much planning that goes into preparing for a vacation. In addition to all the preparations that you do before going on vacation, make sure you have a plan for your home security while you are away. 

When planning for a trip, you have to choose your travel destination, trips and activities to take when you’re there, as well as where you plan on eating and the coolest attractions in the area. You also have to plan your mode of transportation; do you plan on driving in your personal car, renting an RV, flying by plane… With so many options to choose from, it is very important to plan ahead of time, so that you can make the most of your trip.

With all the preparations that you’ll make for your vacation, make sure to also include a thought out strategy for keeping your home safe and secure while you’re away. With all the excitement of planning a getaway, It's easy to forget to protect your home from theft. Securing your home before you go away doesn’t have to be a huge ordeal.

Secure the Perimeter

With these simple home security tips, you can keep your home safe while away.

When securing your home, the first line of defense that you should be thinking about is your home’s windows and doors. Make sure all door locks are in working order and are not falling out of the door or are easy to break into. If you are concerned about some of the locks in your home, we can send a locksmith near you to assist you with all your home security needs. You will also want to make sure that your windows are secure and that all your window latches are strong enough to endure a break-in attempt. Now is also the time to consider if your alarm system is in working order.

If you don’t have an alarm system at all in your home, now might be the perfect time to consider having one installed by our cheap locksmith service. Only after you have made sure that your home is totally secure and can’t be broken easily, can you start to think about creative ways to keep strangers away from your home.

Carry On As Normal

If you don’t want home thieves knowing you’re away from home, the best way to hide that information from them is by allowing your home to carry on as though the home is being lived-in. There are several things you can do to keep your home functioning and to trick burglars into thinking you are home when you are in fact away:

• Hire a house sitter who you trust.Doing so is obviously ideal, as it will make sure your home looks and feels lived in at all times.
• Never let your mail pile up. Have a friend or neighbor come by daily to collect your mail, circulars, and daily newspaper.
• Don't forget about your yard. Find a gardener to mow your lawn at least once a week in spring.
• Shovel your walkway. In the winter, have someone shovel your sidewalk as well as a path leading to your front door.

Be Discreet

Theres no need for public vacation announcements.

You should never feel the need to post about your vacation online; it is just not a good idea, since you really never know who might be able to see your posts online and who might just try to break into your home while you’re away. This is especially true if you are posting about enjoying the finer things in life and staying in five star lodgings, as it basically announces to the world that you have plenty of money to spend on luxuries, and that your home is likely filled with all sorts of valuable items that are completely unsupervised.

Lighting, Sound, and Surveillance 

Keep Your Home Well Lit

Consider the lighting and sound in your home, as they are the two biggest clues to home burglars that you are away. Lights should not be left completely on or off at all times, instead, maybe set your home lights on a timer so that it is not as obvious that you’re away from home when you are. 

Let Your Home Sound Lived In

You might want to consider leaving a radio or television on a timer as well, so that it sounds like someone is home for at least part of the day. If you have a landline, you might want to have it disconnected temporarily or have your calls forwarded so that the loud ring of your phone going unanswered doesn’t act as a giveaway to thieves that you’re not home.

Install Home Security Cameras

Have experienced residential locksmiths install a home security camera on your property before leaving your home unattended for long periods of time. A security camera will not only let you know about your home's goings on via a live video feed, but will also provide evidence to be presented to the police or your home insurance company in the event of a break-in. Perhaps most importantly, a camera that can be seen from the street lets potential thieves know that your home is protected and not worth starting up with.