Tips for securing your home when you’re on vacation

Empty-looking homes are often targets for burglaries. Here are some tips for securing your home when you are away.

If you are heading out of town:

  • Request a vacation home check from the Police department
  • Park your car in your garage, if you can
  • Check your security system to make sure it’s working
  • Check your homeowner’s insurance policy to make sure you’re covered in the event of a break-in or natural disaster

Let a neighbor know

A key aspect to creating a safer community is connecting with your neighbors so you can watch out for each other. Let a neighbor know you’re leaving so they can keep an eye on your house.

Ask them to:

  • Bring in your mail and deliveries
  • Make sure newspapers aren’t visible after mid-morning
  • If you have a second car, park it in their driveway or in front of their house

Exterior home security

Lock everything

The first step in securing your home is to ensure every door and window is locked.

Put mail and deliveries on hold

You can also refer to a trusted friend to pick up your mail for you, while on vacation.

Remove spare keys hidden outdoors

If you have friends or neighbors house sitting while you’re away, then give them a spare key of their own.

Remove garage door openers from cars parked outside

Garage doors are an often-overlooked entrance to your home. If your garage door opener has a vacation lock feature, activate it before you leave to prevent radio signals from opening the door.

Consider a security system

You can choose between monitoring certain areas such as the front porch or the entire home. Home security comes in various forms including:

  • Outdoor lighting
  • Cameras
  • Video doorbells

Interior home security

Use your lights and electronics

Lights inside your home are just as good a deterrent as outdoor lights. It usually represents a sign that someone is home, but be wary of the signal you may send by keeping lights on for an unusual time or in several areas of the home.

To avoid suspicion, you can set automatic timers so certain lights go off at specific times. Televisions, like lights, can be connected to smart plugs to turn the TV on and off throughout the day.

Keep valuables tucked away

Hide all valuables out of sight from windows and doors. You may also consider locking extra important valuables in a safe.

Use your curtain. Curtains and blinds can also be used to prevent peering eyes into your home.