Summer Vacation Home Security Tips

With summer in full swing, the family vacation isn’t too far behind. Lots of folks start worry about their home once the ignition key is turned on and the car is headed down the highway. A few simple steps to take before you leave should set your mind at ease and give you the restful vacation that you deserve.




1. Don’t tell anyone (and don’t post on Twitter or Facebook) that you are leaving except immediate family and very close friends. Try not to mention your departure around the office or at the ballpark or at the gym. A passerby or someone listening in might be someone who would take advantage of you while you are gone.

2. Stop newspaper services. Call your newspaper or in many cases you can put a vacation hold on your account at the papers web page. Plan to do this about a week in advance and ask that your subscription be stopped while you are gone. Newspapers piled in your driveway or steps might alert a would-be thief that no one is in residence.

3. Ask the postal carrier to hold the mail until you return. You can put a hold on your mail at https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/landingView.do Just like with newspapers; mail protruding from the mailbox could alert a thief that you are out of town. If you forget the ask the postal carrier in advance, ask a neighbor to pick up the mail and to save it until your return.

4. Ask a neighbor to watch out for any visitors who might be in your yard. Be sure to leave a contact phone number so that the neighbor can reach you or someone that you trust in the event of a problem.

5. Lock the doors using dead bolts and regular locks. Many people say that locks can only keep out honest people but you want to make it as hard as possible for someone to enter your home without your permission.

6. Lock all the windows. If a thief can’t get into your home through the door, he will probably try the window.

7. Install a timer so that a lamp will come on when it becomes dark outside. Timers are fairly inexpensive to purchase and will provide added security for your home. To operate, you simply plug them into the wall outlet and then plug the lamp into the timer. Set the timer so that the lamp comes on around dark and turns off at an appropriate time.

8. Move valuables to a safety deposit box before you leave. When in doubt, take precautions. Move expensive jewelry and other small items to your safety deposit box. If it can’t be replaced because of sentimental value, don’t take any chances.

9. Lock all storage sheds and garages. If someone can’t enter your home, they might still be interested in the goods that are in your garage. Lock them up and take the key with you rather than hiding it nearby.

10. Turn off you main water supply. A broken toilet supply line can dump up to 4000 gallons of water in a 24 hour period. Unplug coffee makers, toasters and appliances- this will lessen the likelihood of fire.

While this isn’t a complete list of the items and areas of your home that you may need to secure, we hope this will help you prepare your home for its own vacation.