Going on a vacation means getting rid of all the stress you’ve accumulated over a long period of time. However a large part of that built up stress is actually the result of all the planning required before leaving home. If you want everything to be in order when you get back, you have to take care of a lot of things. However, one of the most important things is security. Your home security should be a major fixture on your planner as far as last minute preparations go. It’s not always easy remembering everything you need to do, so often people simply forget about very important stuff and more or less end up regretting that when they get back.
Luckily we’re here to give you some useful pointers as to what to look out for before leaving on your trip so that your house is secure and you won’t come back to a broken in house with all your valuables missing.
Surveillance
This does not just refer to having cameras watching your home but also to having people check out your property while you’re away. Just because you don’t want thieves snooping around doesn’t mean that no one should go to your home while you’re away. Have a friend, relative or even neighbor look after your property while you’re away. You can even hire a professional house sitter if you have the money to spare. There are a lot of things that need to be taken care of, from watering plants and tending to the garden, all the way to making sure no one has been trying to get in. In only takes a couple of minutes on their part but it’s a world of difference for you and your house’s safety.
Stop getting mail
Everyone gets mail of some sort. Whether we’re talking about oldschool letters, magazine subscriptions or even regular packages being sent to your doorstep, there’s some kind of delivery that will eventually pile up while you’re away. This is a major problem for several motives. For starters, people will steal whatever packages are dropped off at your doorstep while there’s no one home. Then, there’s the issue of mail piling up and filling your mailbox and front step. Potential crooks scouting your home will see this and know that you’re not home.
Don’t just invite them in with a spare key
It’s a super common practice to “hide” your spare home key under your doormat or in a fake rock, or something like that. The problem is that these tricks are very old and everyone knows about them. If thieves know you’re not home they will look for the key in all the common hiding spots and eventually find it. It’s best to give your spare key to a friend or relative, or in other words someone that you trust. This will prevent and unfortunate mishaps where you are literally welcoming thieves in with a key to the place.
Use a safe
If you have a lot of valuables, it’s a smart idea to get a safe for them. Not a gimmicky, small one, but something really heavy and preferably bolted down or stuck to a wall. This will prevent robbers from taking the safe with them. It’s also important to keep it out of sight. Just because it offers a massive layer of protection it’s a very bad idea to just leave it in the open, taunting potential thieves that break in. Hiding it as best you can will minimize chances of them getting your valuables. The safe is a great idea because even if your house is broken into, you can significantly lower the amount of damage they can do by preserving your most important things in the safe.
