Vacation Security : Your Home Safe While You Are Away.
Good vacation security can save you the heartbreak of returning
from a well deserved break to find that your home has had a visit
from a burglar.
As a general rule a burglar will choose a
home where it appears that nobody is in and that nobody is likely to
return home anytime soon.
A home that looks like the family is away on a trip
is the ideal opportunity in his eyes.
The more that you do to reduce the appearance that your home is temporary vacated, the better.
Now the often given advice is not to tell anyone that
you are going away on vacation because that information could find its
way to a burglar.
Good advice, but in the real world some people are going
to know.
There are those people that will have to know and there are others that don’t have to know but will find out.
Your
work associates will know that you have taken leave, they don’t have to
know that you and your family will be away from home of course, but you
will likely let it slip to some.
If you have kids, try telling them not
to talk about the trip they are going on!
The thing is, you are
unlikely to be able to keep a trip away from home a secret from
everyone, but you should still try and avoid broadcasting the fact.
If you participate in social media don’t publicize your vacation in your updates.
It’s far more than just your online ‘friends’ that can read your stuff.
And remember that your cyber friends are just that, you don’t really
know them.
The Best Way To Enjoy Vacation Security.
By far the best way to ensure that you do not arrive back home from your
trip to a burglarized and ransacked home, is to secure the help of a
trusted neighbor or friend.
This friend is going to have access to your
home and be responsible for your vacation security. It has to be someone
you can completely trust.
Good vacation security means that you can relax and enjoy your family trip. |
Arrange for your friend to park a vehicle on your drive and to
periodically move it to give the impression that it is being used and that
activity is taking place in your home.
Ask your friend to keep
your grass cut and your yard in ship shape condition.
A neglected garden
will be a big clue to a burglar that there has not been anyone at home
for a few days, especially if neighbors gardens are well cared for.
Don’t forget that it does not take long for grass to start to look
parched in the hot weather. Ask your friend to water your lawn and
flowerbeds as well.
And for your winter vacation security – Ask
that good ol’ friend to clear your paths of any snow, just like you
would if at home.
Lighting Makes It Look Like You Are At Home.
How about your lighting? Does your home stay dark all evening and night? Not a good idea. Time Switches can be employed to give the illusion that your home is occupied.
Set
the timers to give the impression of activity, people moving from room
to room. This is a good measure, not only for vacation security but all
year round protection.
Make a last minute check before you leave. All doors and windows locked? Home CCTV and alarm system set? If you have a Monitored Alarm System don’t forget to inform the monitoring center that you are going away. Make sure that your helpful friend or neighbor knows how to activate an deactivate your alarm and surveillance systems. |
How about your mail? You know that it is not a good idea to let mail
pile up. You can of course have your mail stopped for the period that
you are away. Don’t forget that you will need to give adequate notice.
But
if anyone was watching your home and saw that the mail carrier was
passing it by each day, they would get wise to the fact it is vacated.
Better to get that faithful friend or neighbor to collect your mail.
At
the same time they can collect advertising fliers to stop them piling up
also.
Know that you will not return home from your trip to find that your home has had an intruder. |
Make sure your telephone answer machine does not give any clue of your
absence.
You should not, of course, leave a message that says the family are
away from home.
Just say you can’t get to the phone right at this moment.
Have the message
set to cut in before too many rings.
It is a mistake to close all the drapes around your home, doing so
sends a message that it is unoccupied. Leave at least some drapes open,
but try and avoid leaving valuable items on view to an intruder looking through the window.
If someone is keeping watch on your home while you are on vacation, ask them to periodically open and close your drapes and blinds.
Don’t
switch off your air conditioning in the summer. If your air compressor
is not running in the heat it will be a clue your house is vacant.
Ask your neighbor to put out your trash and recycling cans on collection days, (and bring them in too.) Just Burglars sometimes throw ‘something’ |
Does all this keeping a watch on your home while you are on vacation
seem a little too much to ask of a friend or neighbor? It is not really,
you can always return the favor when they are on a trip.
And with your trusted friend taking care of your vacation security you can relax and really get the benefit of your holiday.
Home Security Articles
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Vacation Security
Watch Out For The Summer Burglar
There is no doubt that the long lazy days of summer perk us all up and
put a smile on our faces. No doubt either that the summer burglar is also
perked up by the warmer months because it is then that many homeowners make
things so easy for him.