Protect Your Home When You Are Away

No homeowner wants to return from a wonderful vacation to find that his or her home has been burglarized or damaged. There are a number of different safety and security measures that you can take to protect your home. Before you leave, it is important to make sure that each of these measures is functioning properly and that your home is secure.

Steps

Deterring Intruders

  1. Install a home security system. Standard home security alarms generally include sensors on all entry doors, sensors on easily accessed windows, and some motion activated sensors for outdoor spaces. They are also a direct link to a monitoring service. These systems act as a deterrent for intruders and are fairly easy to use.[1].
    • You can have a home automation system installed that allows you to access a security system through a smart phone or computer application. Often a full security system would include outdoor cameras, automated lighting and an alarm and monitoring system. These provide peace of mind whenever you’re far away from your home.
    • Installing a home security system may also reduce your homeowners’ insurance payments.
  2. Purchase a sign from a security company. If you have chosen to purchase and install a home security system, consider purchasing a sign from a different company. Some homeowners worry that advertising their home security system will clue burglars in how to trick the system. If you put up a sign from a different company, you eliminate this risk. [2]
    • Even if you did not install a security system, you can still find a sign to put up in your yard as a deterrent.
    • You can find these signs on resale websites or auction websites.
  3. Install motion sensors. This is applicable for homeowners rather than for families living in apartment buildings. If you have outdoor spaces, consider installing motion sensors that turn on a light when someone moves close. Consider adding motion sensors by any entryways like those on porches, decks, and by garages.
    • Ensure that the light on the sensor is bright enough to draw attention to anyone attempting to enter the home.
  4. Replace your older entry doors. Strong doors are a worthwhile investment as a deterrent for robberies. Ideally, they will be over 1 inch thick and be made of metal. Hardwoods are also a good option. Your door should be strong enough that no one can break it down or kick it in. Not only will this increase security, it will also improve your home's energy efficiency.[3]
    • Good locks are useless if your door is easily broken![4]
    • This may not be possible if you are renting your home or live in an apartment. If this is the case, speak with your landlord to see if they will consider installing more secure doors.
  5. Install strong locks. Consider adding a dead bolt or an extra strong lock to entry way doors. If you have sliding glass doors, install locks that wedge between the door and the track to ensure they cannot be opened from the outside.
    • If you have window screens, add security latches to the screen. Window screens can be easily opened, but this latch adds another layer of protection.
  6. Purchase a fireproof safe. A safe is a necessary investment for every homeowner. You should keep your essential documents here, like the deed to your home, your passports, and identification cards whether you are home or away.[5]
    • Before you leave, lock up any valuables that you may keep out on an everyday basis, like jewelry or sensitive documents.
  7. Put away the hidden key. Many of us have a hidden key to our front doors or garages tucked away under a welcome mat, in a plant, or in a decorative garden item. Retrieve the hidden key and put it somewhere safe inside your home.
    • Since you’ll be away, there’s no reason for a hidden key to be outside. Most burglars know that homeowners will hide keys and will look for one that is easily accessible when they want to break in.

Concealing Your Absence

  1. Ask a friend to monitor your home. Ask a trusted friend, family member, or neighbor to keep an eye out on your home while you’re away. It is absolutely essential that you trust this person and know that they will follow through with checking in.[6]
    • A next door neighbor is a convenient person to monitor your home since they are the most likely person to notice any unusual situations.
    • Do not sacrifice convenience for trust. If you do not feel completely comfortable asking your next door neighbor to check on your home, ask a close friend or family member.
    • Remember to return the favor and offer to do the same for them when they are on vacation.
  2. Ask a friend to maintain your yard. Overgrown lawns or driveways full of snow are surefire giveaways that the homeowner isn’t at home.
    • Be mindful of your friend’s time and offer compensation for these chores. For example, if the neighbor that you’ve asked to keep an eye on things has a teenage son or daughter, offer to pay their child to complete these tasks.
    • Always return the favor and offer to do the same when they go away on vacation.
  3. Install programmable light switches. Interior lights signal that someone is at home but leaving your lights on all the time while you are away is not cost effective. A programmable light switch will turn on select lights at a certain time and then turn them off. This saves money, is energy efficient, and is a useful deterrent.
    • An intruder who is watching your home closely may notice that the lights go on and off at certain times every day. Set a schedule for your timers that varies day by day.[7]
  4. Do not post online. Never post on social media that you are leaving for a vacation. Avoid posting pictures from your vacation while you are still away, checking in at the airport or your vacation destination, or updating your friends about your vacation.
    • Internet safety is extremely important. Many burglars learn about their potential victims through social media when they post that they will be away, how long they’ll be away, and where they’re going.[8]
  5. Stop your mail. Notify the post office that you will be away so they do not leave mail and packages at your door. You can also ask your neighbor to collect your mail for you if you prefer not to stop your mail altogether.
    • Avoid scheduling deliveries, like those for online shopping, for times when you are away. Packages that are left outside your front door are easily stolen and alert others that you are out of town.
  6. Leave window coverings the same. This applies to your curtains, your blinds, or shutters that cover your windows. If you typically leave your blinds open during the day, consider leaving them open when you are away. Noticeable changes can alert others that you aren’t home, like if your curtains are pulled shut for two weeks straight when they are normally open.[8]

Making Final Preparations

  1. Check your pipes. If you live in a cold weather area and you are leaving during a time when inclement weather is a possibility, you want to make sure your pipes are well insulated. Frozen pipes can cause significant damage to your home, and if no one is there to check them after cold weather it may go unnoticed until you return.[4]
    • Go into areas where pipes are at a greater risk of freezing, like the attic and the basement, and check their insulation. Consider hiring a plumber to inspect your pipes if you are worried about their insulation.[9]
    • A neighbor that is checking up on your house should test the faucets while you’re away. If there is no water coming from the faucets, your pipes may be frozen. Ask them to contact you immediately if this happens while you’re away.
  2. Unplug non-essential appliances. Before you leave, unplug the appliances in your home that are non-essential, like your microwave, a stereo, a coffeemaker, and lamps you won’t leave on.
    • This protects your home in the event of a power surge or an electrical fire.
    • This is also an energy efficient way to reduce your electrical consumption while you’re away.
  3. Check all locks. Before you leave, check that each door and window are securely locked. Having locks installed will do you no good if they are not locked while you are gone! Go through every room of your home and apartment and check that each window and entry door is secure.
    • It is also helpful do a perimeter of your house from the outside. Look for any window screens that look loose or unsecured.
  4. Turn down the temperature. This is a good way to keep your electricity and natural gas costs low while you’re away. Adjust the temperature on the thermostat and turn down the temperature on your water heater.
    • You don’t want to turn your thermostat completely off. Depending on your area’s climate, 55 degrees is a good limit for the winter and 80 degrees for the summer.
    • You can also consider monitoring your heat from afar. The most cost-effective way to monitor your heat while you are away is to install a wireless thermostat that you can monitor and program from your mobile phone or device while you are on vacation.
  5. Secure your garage door. Garage doors are an easy way for intruders to enter your home. Manual garage doors can be secured with a clamp or padlock to prevent them from being opened.[10]
    • Turn off your automatic garage door opener if you have one. This will prevent someone with a universal remote from opening the door while you’re away.

Tips

  • Homeowners and renters insurance are worthwhile investments. Depending on the policy, they can reimburse you for damage to your home and for valuables stolen.

Warnings

  • Even with these preventative measures in place, crimes still do happen. Despite your best efforts, you may still be a victim of robbery. If you realize you have been robbed when you return home, contact the police immediately.
  • Avoid notifying the police that you will be away. While some police departments may be able to send a patrol car through the neighborhood, most police departments will be unable to accommodate these requests. A vigilant neighbor is a much better bet than a patrol car that comes by once a week.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.homeadvisor.com/r/home-security-alarms/#.WC34tOErJsM
  2. ↑ https://www.safety.com/blog/10-ways-to-protect-your-home-while-youre-on-vacation/
  3. ↑ http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/entry-doors/buying-guide.htm
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.asecurelife.com/protect-your-home-while-on-vacation/
  5. ↑ http://www.asecurelife.com/how-to-deter-burglars/
  6. ↑ http://www.protectedhome.com/prevent-theft-and-break-ins.html
  7. ↑ http://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-install-a-programmable-timer-switch/
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/safety-and-health/keep-your-home-safe-on-vacation-9-essential-tips?utm_source=hootsuite
  9. ↑ https://www.houselogic.com/organize-maintain/diy-repair/prevent-freezing-pipes/
  10. ↑ http://www.itstactical.com/intellicom/physical-security/top-10-garage-door-security-tips-to-prevent-break-ins/
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