Vacation should be about relaxing, and taking a break from life’s everyday stresses. Knowing that your home and belongings are secure while you’re not there can give you the peace of mind you need to really unwind. Follow our four-step plan to secure your home while you’re on vacation.
Step 1: Protect your home with a home security system
If you don’t have a security system, consider making your home safer by installing one. A smart home security system offers many options to monitor your house, receive notifications of unexpected activity, alert authorities in the event of an emergency, and more — and you can control it all remotely while you’re away. Choose a system with WiFi-enabled cameras, motion sensors, and professional monitoring. Modern systems like Xfinity Home give you complete control with your smartphone, so you can check in and make sure your home is secure.
Step 2: Discourage would-be burglars
Most burglars are looking for an easy score, so give the appearance that your home is not an easy target. Here’s how to protect your home from intruders:
- Clearly advertise your security system.
- Install bright exterior lights to keep doorways and windows visible from the street.
- Place security cameras out of reach but in a clearly visible location. You don’t want to invite tampering or theft, but you do want anyone who walks up to your door to know you’re watching them.
- Make sure any valuables (such as big-screen televisions and other expensive electronics) aren’t visible from the street. Valuable items on display can attract unwanted attention.
- Give a copy of the key to the friend or neighbor who is collecting your mail; they can leave the mail in your house. A porch full of uncollected mail is a perfect tip-off to criminals that no one is home. Don’t hide a spare key in obvious, or common, places (like in the mailbox or under the welcome mat). Burglars know where to look, and check these spots frequently. With smart locks, you can provide your neighbor with a temporary passcode that will only work while you’re away.
Step 3: Give the appearance that someone is home
When your home looks occupied, it’s safer. Set indoor lights on a timer. Vacation light timers that turn on and off regularly make it seem like you are at home. Smart security systems like Xfinity Home have this function integrated, letting you manage the lighting schedule from your smartphone or another device while you’re away.
If you have services that come to the house on a regular schedule, such as lawn or landscaping services, have them stick to their schedule while you’re away. The more activity going on at the house and the more it seems like someone is home, the better.
Step 4: Relax
To secure your home while you are away, use some basic security protocol: don’t leave valuables in plain sight, set up a high-quality security system, and do your best to deter burglars. You may need to take some special considerations to make the house seem occupied while you’re gone, but it all starts with good security habits even when you’re home. With a well-secured home, you’ll be on a one-way trip to peace of mind.
