Home Security While Traveling
Going on vacation soon? Summer is the prime time to get out and treat yourself to a holiday, but July and August are also when the majority of residential break-ins happen. So you might be wondering what you can do to better fortify your home that doesn’t involve boobie traps or a kid named Kevin McCallister. Luckily for you, we’ve done some research and here’s what we’ve found.
Don’t Broadcast It
You’ve probably heard time and time again not to broadcast your vacations on social media until you’re home, and that is wise counsel. If you have a public social media account like Instagram or Twitter, announcing publicly that you’ll soon be going on vacation is as good as an invitation for robbery. It’s best not to broadcast your vacation until you’re back. When you are, it should be safe to pepper your social media accounts with your pictures from Fiji.
Some websites, such as PleaseRobMe.com, take a tongue-in-cheek approach to home security by illustrating the impact of sharing too much information. On this site in particular, the company explains how the Twitter feature of “checking in” at certain locations show to potential prowlers that you may not be home. Whether or not the company is in business is up to question, but the fact remains the same: if you make your location public, you’re more vulnerable to theft.
Double-Check Your Security System
If you have a home security system, it’s best to test it to make sure it’s still running properly before you leave. Some systems feature WiFi enabled arm/disarm features so you can arm your system from anywhere in the world. In these same systems, there are usually ways to access surveillance footage from your security cameras from your phone. Double-check these functions to be sure they’re working before you leave.
If you don’t have a home security system, look into one. It’s probably less expensive than you think. Aside from that, owning a home security system can cut nearly 20 percent from your homeowner’s insurance, which could cover the cost of the system itself. Essentially, it’s like having an incredibly inexpensive system that monitors your home for break-ins and sports features like automatic locks and thermostat regulators.
Make Your Home Look Lived In
There’s a right and wrong way to go about this.
The wrong way to go about this is to keep your lights on all the time. This will ramp up your electrical bill, and lights on at 3:00 in the morning looks suspicious anyway. Also, turning your blinds shut when you normally keep them open is a bad sign as well.
The right way is to make your home look as though you never left. Through your home security system or other applications, you can regulate your home to turn lights on and off at particular intervals. And whether or not you keep your blinds open or closed, keep it consistent with how you usually are at home. It’s also not a bad idea to halt your mail or pay someone to take care of the yard while you’re gone.
Ask Your Neighbors to Keep an Eye Out
Reliable neighbors can be invaluable. Talk to those in your neighborhood and ask them to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious wandering around your property. Some neighborhoods will have a neighborhood watch program, so it would be wise to do some research and find if you belong to one of them. If you have a neighbor that you’re close friends with, leave them a key to your home. They or a house sitter can check up on things while you’re gone.
It also doesn’t hurt to alert police and let them know that you’ll be gone, but only worry about this if you’ll be gone for over a week or two. This is particularly effective if you live in a small town. Occasionally, police officers can patrol by your house to check up on things depending on how big of a town you live in. Protecting thousands of dollars in electronics and jewelry is worth one phone call to the police station.
Originally published at bestcompany.com.
