It’s almost Christmas and many families will be heading out this weekend for a week spent away visiting family and friends for the holidays. Keeping your home secure, and more importantly, appearing as if someone is home is essential to keep your home safe while you are away, and we’ve thought of a few tips to help you prepare before you set out on your travels.
Ensure All Windows and Exterior Doors are Locked
While this sounds like an obvious suggestion, it’s important to ensure before you leave that all of your windows, especially first-floor windows and doors are locked, especially those that aren’t used frequently. This time of year, most people aren’t opening windows often, so they aren’t being checked as they should be. It’s always best to double check!
Bring Boxes from Gifts and Shipments Inside
If you’ve purchased any expensive items for the holidays, it is important to keep the boxes inside your home until you are able to discard them properly (especially if trash or recycling pick-up will occur while you are away). Many thieves will scope out homes with boxes that might contain an expensive item when it comes to deciding which homes to target (think electronics). Additionally, a pile of boxes sitting outside your home might show that no one is home and that your home is empty.
Invest in Timers or a Smart Home Device to Operate Lights
Leaving lights on in your home is always a good idea, especially if you are away, however, investing in timers to work your lamps, or even a smart home device that you can program to turn lights on at a certain time would work best. If your lights are on all day and all night, it might be obvious that your home is vacant.
Unplug Electronics That Could Cause a Fire
If you have small appliances in your home (i.e. toaster, air fryer, instant pot, space heaters, etc.) it would be a good idea to unplug those while you are away to take an extra precaution in preventing a fire from happening.
Inform a Trusted Neighbor of your Plans
It is always nice to have neighbors that you can rely on and trust. If you have a neighbor that you trust, ask that they look in on your home, collect any mail and hold it for you, and that they have your contact information in case of incident.
