Top 10 Home Security Tips While on Vacation
Nothing’s more of a buzzkill than returning from a great trip to find your home ransacked and your stuff stolen. Home security may not be foremost on your mind when you’re planning a vacation. But once you’ve purchased your travel tickets and booked your accommodations, take some steps to keep your home secure while you’re away.
Tips for Home Security While You’re on Vacation
Reading the tips below is a good start for smarter vacation security.
1. Halt mail and newspaper delivery service
An overflowing mailbox or piled-up packages is a clear indication that someone has not been home for a while. You can sign up online to have the USPS hold your mail at your local post office for free for 30 days. You can also ask a trusted neighbor to pick up your mail and papers—and offer to do the same for them when they travel.
2. Block entry to the garage door and your sliding glass patio door
Whether you have an automatic garage opener or a manual door that needs to be opened and closed by hand, burglars find their way around it. The best way to protect your garage doors is to install a deadbolt-style lock.
Also, secure your glass patio door by using a broom handle or metal pipe as a wedge in the middle bottom track of the door slide. Make sure it’s a tight fit.
3. Don’t publicly promote your absence
Do not post about your vacation on social media until after you have returned. By sharing your travel plans, you are advertising that your home will be empty for days. You can never be sure who sees that information on social media. So, why announce to the world that you’re away?
Be careful with your voicemail as well. Most callers don’t need to know you are out on vacation. They only need to know that you can’t come to the phone right now.
Make your out-of-office email reply vague. Simply say, “I am temporarily out of the office. If you need immediate assistance, please contact (name) at (email address). Otherwise, I will reply when I return.”
4. Remove any spare keys and do not leave notes
If a burglar finds out that you are away on vacation, he will most likely look around for the spare key. So reach under the mat (or wherever you hid it) and remove the key before leaving. As a matter of fact, that doormat isn’t a great hiding spot anyway. There are better ways to hide a key outside your home. If you must leave a spare key behind, leave it with a trusted friend or neighbor. Any other place is accessible for a determined criminal.
Leaving notes out for friends or delivery personnel advertises to burglars that you’re away. Instead, contact them directly via their phones or the company website.
5. Install security cameras to monitor your home while on vacation
Security systems that depend on you to monitor your phone may not help when your phone’s in airplane mode or you’re snorkeling, hiking, or listening to a tour guide. Deep Sentinel’s expert security guards call the police for you when your property’s perimeter is breached. Using a proactive video surveillance system is just like hiring a traditional security guard to keep your home safe while you are on vacation.
6. Trim trees and shrubs
One of the biggest giveaways that someone is not home is an unkempt lawn and driveway. Full, tall trees and shrubs may be lovely but not when they shield burglars who are checking out your home. Be sure to trim all that lush foliage away from your windows and doors before leaving.
It might be a good idea to ask a friend or neighbor to take care of any outdoor activities your house might need while you are away.
7. Leave on lights, radio, and TV using a programmable timer
Confuse would-be thieves by leaving on a few bright lights. You should also turn on the TV and/or radio with the volume up to a level that can be heard from your front door. Make sure to use a programmable timer. Here at Deep Sentinel, we like the light switch timers that include a random setting to really fool thieves.
8. Stash valuables
Easy-to-grab expensive items like jewelry, fancy electronics, cash, and watches are extremely alluring to thieves and burglars. So, conceal and secure the high-value items in your home. Lock up the most important things in a household safe.
Also, remember that criminals just don’t draw the line at stealing physical goods. Some of them want to steal your identity as well. So, keep your financial documents, security cards, and any other personal identification documents in a secure place.
Thieves aim to be in and out of a house in less than 10 minutes. So stashing your valuables in a safe will keep your belongings safe even in case of misfortune.
9. Shut and lock all windows and doors
Lock every possible entry to your house, including all the windows, doors, and deadbolts. Do this even if you’re going on a day trip. Many thieves simply hop in through open windows and doors.
If you tend to be forgetful, consider getting a smart lock you can monitor and program through a phone app. Also, close all curtains, shades, and blinds.
10. Make sure your outdoor lighting includes motion sensors and/or a timer
Darkness is another common indicator that someone is not home. It allows thieves to enter the house undetected. Therefore, keep a few lights on to create the illusion that someone is home. Better yet, use motion detector lights to illuminate any intruders. Or you can use a smart lighting system that uses a timer and can be controlled remotely.
Try Deep Sentinel for Hands-Off Home Security
Deep Sentinel has a team of guards watching your home whenever there’s trouble, whether you’re home or away. Thanks to innovative technology and live security monitoring, the guards can contact the police on your behalf in a matter of seconds. While you’re sipping a seaside cocktail or touring a faraway museum, you can rest easy knowing that your home is under unbeatable protection.
To learn how Deep Sentinel works, call us now at 833.983.6006.
Need a Solution that Prevents Crime?
Deep Sentinel is the only security technology that delivers the experience of a personal guard on every customer’s home and business. Visit deepsentinel.com or call 833-983-6006