5 Tips For Amping Up Your Home Security While On Vacation

Original article can be found here.

Most of us look forward to vacations for months, and it’s maybe the only opportunity to enjoy a few consecutive stress-free days away from the typical day-to-day pressures of work and life. You’ll want to make sure that while you’re away, your home is safe and secure.

The most obvious option is to invest in a high-end home security camera or go with a top home security company; however, those can be very pricy, and wouldn’t you rather put that money toward your getaway instead? If so, we’ve got you covered with five tips that you can use to increase the security of your home while you’re on your next vacation.

1. Set Your Lights on a Timer

Having lights on in your home is one of the most obvious indicators that the home is not empty. However, if you’re planning to go away for several days, or if you’re really lucky, several weeks at a time, keeping the lights on for the entire duration of your trip is not only going to drive your electric bill through the roof, but it’s also dangerous as it poses a risk for fires.

That said, connecting your lights to a timer is a great option, and you may already have one lying around.

Light timers are a great and cost-effective way to increase the security of your home while you’re away on vacation. You can set the timers to automatically turn your lights on and off at the same times that they typically would be if you were home. You can set up a few throughout the different floors of your home so it appears that people are around and occupying both the upstairs and downstairs.

2. Have a Friend Check in on Your Home

If you’re going to be away for more than a day or so, a smart (and maybe obvious) idea is to have a trusted friend or neighbor come by to check up on your home a couple of times. Not only will this help to ensure that everything is right within your home, but it will also bring some motion and human presence to your house.

Meet up with this individual before you leave for your trip, and hand-deliver them your key.

PRO TIP: It’s never a good idea to hide a key under a mat or a rock because realistically, any random individual could find it and then gain access to your home.

Additionally, while they’re already there checking up on things, you should have them pick up your mail. An overflowing mailbox or unattended package are a sure indication to thieves that no one is home. It’s a good idea to keep the number of people that know you’re going away to a minimum, so besides the person that you’ve picked to tend to your home while you’re away, try to make sure your departure is not widely known.

3. Keep a Car in the Driveway

Unless you have to use your car to get to your vacation destination, leaving it parked in the driveway can be a a great option for increasing your home’s security while you’re not there. It’s all about creating the illusion that someone is home, even when that’s not the case, and having a car parked in the driveway is just another way to do that.

The obvious issue that you may run into is that you might be planning to use your car to drive to where you’re going. If that’s the case, a good alternative is to ask a nearby friend or neighbor if they would be willing to park their car in your driveway while you’re away. To sweeten the deal, offer to pay for their next carwash when you get back.

4. Be Mindful of Your Curtains and Blinds

While you may be tempted to completely close all the curtains and blinds in your home before you leave in an attempt to prevent anyone from peering inside, it’s unlikely that will happen. This could draw more attention to your absence, so it’s important to be deliberate with this action.

The recurring theme here is doing little things in order to generate the impression that you’re still home, so consider leaving your curtains and blinds in a position that is more like how they are on a normal daily basis.

If you typically keep your blinds closed throughout the day, keep them closed while you’re away. However, if it’s more common for you to leave them open for the majority of the day, mimic this while you’re gone, and make the choice to keep them open.

5. Create a Decoy Security System

Security systems, while effective, can be awfully expensive. However, you may not need a security system as long as you can create the impression that you have one.

By putting up decoy security signs, stickers and even imitation cameras in plain sight, you’re increasing your chances of deterring trespassers from trying to enter your home or approach your property. If it looks like a security system is installed, and it’s not hidden, it’s unlikely that someone would try to break in if they saw it.

While we don’t recommend this as your only means of protecting your home, by creating a decoy security system, in addition to following the other tips on this list, your home should be plenty secure while you’re away. If anything, this should help to give you the peace of mind that you need in order to enjoy your vacation and know that your home will be adequately safe and secure until you return back.