Keeping Your Home Safe When Leaving For Vacation
For most people, preparing for a vacation means packing their bags, booking tickets, and planning activities. But they forget to protect their home before leaving for their long-awaited vacation.
If you don’t want to come home to a robbery, a dead garden, or a burnt house, Make sure you follow these steps to ensure your home is safe while you are gone:
Alert the Post Office
The first thing you need to do is alert the post office regarding your trip. This is to ensure that they hold your mail until you return. If you are going away for a longer period, perhaps forward your mail to that mailing address.
Piled-up mails and newspapers are a tip-off that no one is at home. If alerting your post office is not an option, ask your neighbors to collect your mails.
Lock the Doors and Windows
As obvious as it may seem, don’t forget to lock the doors and windows before taking the trip. 34% of the burglars enter through the front door, and 22% enter through the back door. Vulnerable locks are a common access point for burglars. So, it’s better to install new locks.
Don’t Forget to Set Timer on Your Electronics
Burglars are more likely to target empty homes, which is why you have to create the illusion that someone’s home.
Set a timer on electronics, radios, lights, televisions, and lamps, so they will automatically turn on at the selected time of the day. All you need to do is plug in your appliances and set a timer. You can find plug-in timers at your local hardware.
You can also use motion sensor lights. They turn on as soon as they detect warmer objects move across its field of view. It’s also important to avail of home restoration services before you are gone.
Install a Home Monitoring System
Home security is absolutely essential. You can also get a pre-loss planning inspection done before going away. There are an array of home security systems you can choose from. With a home monitoring system installed, the alarm companies call the authorities when burglars get into your house.
A home security system that allows you to view the live video remotely is a good option to choose from. Some home security systems also notify you of fire and gas.
If you already have a basic home monitor system installed, make sure you upgrade it. Make sure to install an alarm system as well. You can also install extra cameras and sensors to enhance security.
There are five most common types of home security systems, including:
- Wired Alarm System
- Monitored Home Alarm System
- Unmonitored Home Alarm System
- Electric Current Alarm System
- Wireless Home Alarm System
While choosing a home security system, make sure you bring monitoring options and types of connection into consideration.
Tip: Install a few cameras outside the house to ensure that burglars know that your home is well protected.
Stay Away from Social Media
We all love sharing vacation pictures on social media. However, posting vacation updates is an open invitation to burglars. So, keep in mind that by posting vacation pictures, you are not only updating your friends but are also revealing to potential thieves that you are away from home.
One more thing you have to be sure of is that your home address isn’t accessible via your social media pages. Most home-based business owners share their locations online. So, if you have shared your location on social media, make sure you delete it.
If You Can, Leave a Car in the Driveway
Whether you are going away on vacation or taking a business trip, it’s important to create an illusion that someone’s home.
You can either leave your car in the driveway or ask your neighbor or friend if they can park theirs. If you will be gone for a longer period, make sure you ask someone to get the car cleaned.
Install cameras outside the house if you plan on parking your car outside the home.
Lock Your Valuables
Make sure you lock up all your valuables, especially easy-to-grab expensive items. From antique jewelry pieces to designer bags and other sentimental items, make sure you lock all the valuables in a hidden lockbox.
Get Your House Cleaned – Regularly
Whether your mailbox is empty or you have a car parked in the driveway, none of the tricks will work if your house looks dirty. So, make sure you regularly get the outdoors, pool, and garden cleaned to make sure it looks like someone’s home.
You can also give a call to 911 Restoration if you are looking for reliable cleaning services.
Final Verdict
If you want to secure your home from robberies while you are on vacation, make sure you follow the steps above to secure your house.
Contact 911 Restoration Gilbert if you are looking for reliable cleaning services, pre-loss planning inspection, and other home restoration services. The team offers a thorough inspection of the interior and exterior of your house and documents the condition of your property to facilitate you in the event of a loss.
