5 Essential Tips to Keep Your Home Safe while on Vacation

While spending some time away on vacation sounds like a dream to most, in order to come back to a home with all your belongings as you left them, we must not forget to these simple tasks when planning days away from home. These tips are important to keep out any burglars from targeting your home.

(1) Ask Someone to Check on Things

By mentioning to a trusted neighbour, friend or family member that your home will be vacant while you are away, they will be able to make sure the house looks as unempty as possible by collecting any mail left out or turning lights on when visiting.

(2) Install Timers

By installing timers on electronics within the house hold such as lights, TV’s and even sprinklers; the house will not look give off a sign that the occupants are away on vacation. By timing these to come on at different times of the day and night, if anyone were to be watching the house’s movements they would be unsure as to whether someone was actually in or not due to the irregularities.

(3) Lock Everything

Although this may be obvious, it is many times overlooked or forgotten when in a rush. Make sure to check and lock any doors or windows which are usually left open in order to prevent easy access.

(4) Keep Valuables in a Safe

When leaving any valuables including money, jewellery, electronics at home while on vacation, the best place to store them is out of sight, avoiding obvious hiding places such as in a drawer under clothes. Using a safe means that even if anyone is to break in, at least the most valuable items are stored safely out of reach.

(5) Don't Broadcast your Absence

In this social media age, it is very easy to broadcast to the World that you are going away on vacation. Be mindful that by telling everyone you are away on vacation, the word may spread to unwanted visitors. Only tell those you trust before you leave or once you have returned. Social media can wait!

Written by Nicole Fernandez Medina