The last thing that should be on your mind while you vacation is the safety of your home and your belongings. Take the time to properly prepare your home for your upcoming vacation and you will enjoy your getaway without concern. Here’s how to ensure you do not return to a ransacked home.
Anticipate the Worst
Think about what a burglar will find if he breaches your home. Take the time to stash your most valued possessions. Gather all those sentimental and expensive items. Place them in a safe that is bolted down and impossible to remove from the premises. This way, if your home is burglarized, thieves will steal items that you do not have a special affinity for.
Do not Broadcast the Fact That You are Vacationing
Though it is tempting to hop on social media and tell everyone that you are finally going on vacation, making such an announcement is a major mistake. If your social media profiles are visible to the public or if an unsavory character has access to one of your friend’s accounts and sees your status update about your vacation plans, your house will be a target. Wait to share pictures and stories of your vacation once you have returned home.
Create the Impression Someone is Home
Try your best to make it appear as though someone is at home. A burglar who approaches a home that appears to be occupied will be less inclined to attempt to break in. If possible, leave your vehicle parked in the driveway. Leave your curtains exactly as they would be on a regular day. This way, if the burglar scouts out the property, he will assume nothing has changed when in reality, you have left town for your vacation. Invest in lamp timers or smart lighting so your house lights turn on periodically to create the impression that you are on-site when you are really enjoying a strong drink on the beach.
Hide Your Vehicle’s GPS
It is a mistake to park your vehicle at the airport or even a hotel with the GPS set up on the windshield. Leaving your GPS in such a position creates the opportunity for a thief to access your GPS and figure out your home address. Plenty of thieves target vehicles with such GPS devices parked in hotel and air port parking lots as it is a sign that the homeowner is on vacation or away from their house for an extended period of time. So don’t leave your GPS in your vehicle while you are traveling. If it is built into the vehicle, alter the programming of its “home” setting to a business’s address while you are away from home.
Ask for Assistance
Enlisting help from trusted individuals will help create the impression that the home is occupied during your vacation. Tell your most trusted neighbor that you are going on vacation and would appreciate it if they kept an eye out for suspicious behavior. Ask them to park their vehicle in your driveway to create the impression that someone is home. Request that they collect newspapers and mail so those items do not pile up and make it clear you are away from the home. It will also help if this trusted friend or neighbor takes out your trash and recyclables to make it appear as though you are at home. Leave your contact information with this trusted party before departing.
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