You’ve packed up your suitcase and booked your trip, but before you board the plane, take the time to protect your home while you’re on vacation. See to it that your home stays disaster- and burglary-free while you’re gone.
Make it look like someone is home
To avoid becoming another crime statistic, take steps to make sure it looks like someone’s still at home. Set timers on lights, radios, and televisions so they’ll automatically turn on at varied times during the morning and evening. Make sure your grass is freshly cut. Take out garbage, be sure the dishwasher is empty or only has clean dishes. Have someone park their car in your empty driveway. Position window blinds and curtains like normal just make sure they aren’t exposing expensive home furnishings or appliances. And while you’re at it, ask a neighbor to collect your mail for you, so you don’t miss anything that may be time sensitive, and arrange to stop your newspaper delivery. Lastly, Don’t order anything to ship while away, theft of items from porches and front doors have become rampant.
Don’t Forget to lock up
It’s a no-brainer to lock all your doors before going on vacation, but don’t neglect to secure other openings, like pet doors or mail slots, to prevent burglars from reaching in with a tool and unlocking the door. And if you have an automatic garage door, consider disconnecting the electronic opener and placing a padlock on the garage-door track instead. Smart locks can help you control the entry to your house remotely.
Watch what you share on social media
I know It’s super tempting to share details or photos of your vacation via social media posts. But even though you’re making all your friends jealous with that barely-filtered picture of a bright blue lagoon, you’re also revealing to potential thieves that you’re far away from home.
To keep burglars at bay, refrain from publicly sharing any details of your trip until you return. Remove geotags from social media posts with a metadata removal tool, or switch off the geotagging feature on your phone. Also, make sure your sharing settings are switched to private or “Friends Only.”
Enlist your neighbor
Tell a trusted neighbor that you’ll be gone for a while, and ask them to keep an eye on your house. Instruct them to call the authorities if they see anything suspicious or dangerous-looking occurring on the premises. And for worst-case scenarios, provide them with your vacation contact and a spare key.
Contact your alarm company. (Or make it look like you have one)
Having an alarm system installed in your home can bring you more than peace of mind. But this can also be costly. If you don’t have an alarm system? And your vacation is fast approaching, fool burglars by hanging fake security company signs, and if you want to go all out, consider installing fake security cameras.
Remove your Spare key
We’re sure you thought of a really clever place to hide your spare key that isn’t underneath a flowerpot, above a door frame, or below a fake plastic rock. But chances are, a seasoned criminal will search long and hard to find it. To avoid handing a thief your home’s possessions on a silver platter, simply remove the key before you leave and drop it off to family or friends nearby, for safekeeping. Give them a key and ask them to stop by and check your home.
Unplug all your appliances
To avoid electrical fires or power surges, make sure to unplug all unnecessary non-timed appliances, think TVs, coffee makers, lamps, etc. Also, make sure your smoke alarms are in working order, and have a fire extinguisher on hand in case a house sitter needs to extinguish a blaze. Since disasters can strike even the most well-prepared household, consider purchasing homeowners or renters insurance.
BONUS TIP– Did you know that you can rent your home for up to 14 days and not pay taxes on that income? #taxhack
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