Planning a summer trip? Don’t leave your empty home vulnerable to intruders. Take these extra steps to keep your home safe:
- Don’t break the pattern. Disrupting your daily routines alerts burglars you’re away. Maintain typical patterns by investing in light timers, hiring a lawn service or arranging a house sitter.
- Stop! Put a temporary stop on your mail and newspaper deliveries. The hold-mail service is free and you can make the request online.
- Burglars “like” social media too. Posting your whereabouts on social media tells the public your place is empty and vulnerable. Wait until your return before posting vacation photos.
- Shhh… Remember to turn off your alarm clock and turn down the ringer on your house phone before you leave. Audible alerts like continuously beeping alarm clocks and ringing phones can draw attention to your absence.
- Neighborly love. Tell a neighbor when you leave town so they can keep an eye on your property and put up your garbage bins. If you’re good friends, ask if they will occasionally park in your driveway or rotate the cars parked in front of your house. Don’t forget to return the favor!
- Lock up and disconnect. Lock all windows and doors. Be sure all external doors have deadbolts and place metal or wooden rods in sliding door tracks so they can’t be forced open. Disconnect the power to your garage door so it can’t be opened by a universal opener.
- Global Positioning Savvy. A car left in long term parking with a GPS on the dash is an advertisement that your house is unguarded — and you’re providing a map to it! Once you get to the airport, hide your GPS, lock the keyboard or set “Home” to a local business and not your empty home.
Have a great trip! If you find your getaways are frequent, maybe it’s time for a move to a more permanent paradise. Give me a call if you’re thinking about listing your house!