7 Home Security Measures to Take Before Every Vacation

With the holidays comes gift-giving, parties and for many, extended trips away from home. Just as you would prepare yourself and your family for an extended trip by packing the essentials, your home deserves some attention before you lock the door and head off for a long trip.

Let’s take a look at some home security vacation tips that will ensure your beloved home is safe and sound when you return.

Phone a Friend

Notify a trusted friend or relative about your holiday travel plans and ask them to keep an eye on your home while you’re away. If you are lucky enough to live in a community filled with trustworthy neighbors, even better; their proximity to your home makes the job even easier. Be sure to provide them with a house key so they can take the mail inside or enter the house in the case of an emergency. Leaving a gift of homemade baked goods (or a gift card – for those not gifted in the kitchen) is a great way to give thanks for the favor.

Take a Social Media Vacation

While you may be tempted to share photos of your trip on social media the moment something exciting happens, resist the urge. These types of posts are basically an advertisement to potential thieves that your home is unoccupied and an easy target. The same goes for checking in at restaurants, tourist spots, or other locations that can clue others in to the details of your vacation. There’s no need to post a long itinerary of your trip online, and the photos can wait until you get home. They’ll look just as pretty after the fact!

Keep up on Housekeeping

An unkempt lawn or driveway is a dead giveaway that your home unoccupied. Ask a neighbor or friend – or maybe even hire a service – to keep up on routine maintenance while you are away. Arrange to have the driveway and sidewalk shoveled in case of snow; make sure any falling leaves are raked, and ensure your mums or other autumnal plants are kept watered and alive.

Secure All Entryways

It’s easy to remember the front and back doors. But did you remember to secure ground-level windows, pet doors, and other nonconventional entryways? Make sure every entry point is locked tight before setting off.

Pull the Plug

No one is going to be settling onto the couch for a Netflix binge session, nor will anyone be making coffee or microwaving pizza. Make sure to unplug all small or large electronics that will not be used while you’re gone. This will protect them from power surges, reduce fire hazards and will also help ensure your devices aren’t pulling power and unnecessarily racking up your power bill.

Create an Illusion

Constantly dark windows and drawn blinds are a clue to others that no one is home. Set your lights on a timer so they come on when the sun goes down and go off at a reasonable hour to create the illusion that someone’s inside.

Suspend Subscriptions

If you have a newspaper or other daily service delivered to your home, call ahead and ask if you can suspend it for the time you will be away. If you neighbor or friend is unable to pick up your mail for a day or two, the accumulating pile is – much like an unkempt lawn or snowy shoveled driveway – a dead giveaway that no one is home.

Don’t forget to check ahead and see when monthly subscriptions are due to arrive as well. Do you belong to a wine of the month club, or a clothing delivery service such as Trunk Club or Stitch Fix? Sometimes those deliveries sneak up on you – make sure they don’t let thieves sneak up on you too.

With some forethought and effort, securing your home for an extended vacation can ensure your valuables are safe, and give you peace of mind while you enjoy your time away.