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Hundreds of burglaries occur every day in the United States. Many of those burglaries occur when homeowners are away on vacation. If a burglar knows someone will be gone for several days they know they can get in and out without being seen.
Word can get out about your vacation through a number of ways. Perhaps you left a voicemail on your phone or a note on the door saying you will be gone. That is why it is so important to be careful whom you talk to about your travel plans. In addition to being careful whom you tell however, there are several strategies that will protect your home while you are away for several days. Consider the following five points.
1. Put your mail on hold. Piled up mail in the mailbox or several newspapers on the lawn are an obvious sign to a burglar that no one is around to protect the house. This may seem like a small detail but burglars look for those kinds of things. Either call the post office or cancel the mail for the time you will be gone. Or have a neighbor pick this stuff up for you.
2. Get a barking dog. You probably don’t want to buy a dog just for a single trip but if you happen to have one it will help. You could also consider keeping a friend’s dog in your backyard. Just knowing that a dog exists will intimidate most burglars into not attempting an entry.
3. Put lights on a timer. A robber scouting out your house will notice if there are never any lights on. Pick up a programmable timer at your local store and set it to turn your lights on and off every night. You could also connect the timer to a TV or radio to create noise. No one will enter an occupied home.
4. Have a car in the driveway. This can give the illusion that you are home. If a burglar watches your home regularly however they may notice that the car never moves. A better option might be to let a trusted neighbor use your driveway as a parking spot. You could also have them adjust items on the front porch to make it seem like someone is living there.
5. Hide your valuables well. The reality is, there is no way to make your home 100% burglarproof. In addition to preventing burglars from breaking in, prepare the inside of your home in case they do. For example don’t leave expensive items laying around on counters or floors. Also don’t leave items in places most people would expect them to be hid. The master bedroom is usually the first place an intruder goes. Hide jewelry in the pantry or refrigerator to throw them off. Burglars know the more time they spend in a home the more likely they are to get caught. If they can’t find what they are looking for they will probably just leave.
About the Author: Lindsey Patterson is a freelance writer who specializes in technology and social media. She is currently acting as a social media consultant for Vivint. Be sure to check them out on Vivint’s Facebook as well.
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