6 Home Security Questions to Ask Yourself Before Leaving on Vacation
1. Will my home give the appearance of being lived in or of being abandoned?
Make a list of your regular outdoor maintenance tasks and make arrangements to keep them maintained. If you have a mailbox, have a neighbor collect your mail for you , or consider forwarding or stopping delivery service if this is not possible. If your lawn requires routine care, enlist a lawn service. An overflowing mailbox, packages neglected on your porch, and overgrown foliage are advertisements that the home owner is away. It is good to tell a trustworthy neighbor of your general plans so they can keep an eye out for unexpected activity on your property. Having your neighbor (or friend/relative) stop by periodically to check on your home is an additional step you can take to show that the place is active and can help prevent indoor maintenance disasters like a broken water line or backed up sump pump.
2. Have I double check to make sure ALL windows and doors are locked, even basement and upper story locations?
As the phrase “…thief in the night…” would indicate, potential thieves will often come after the sun has gone down, giving them plenty of time to prod around your house and test each potential entrance for weakness. ADT home security in Miami provides top quality door and window censors, eliminating the traditional advantages intruders might otherwise have.
3. Are my valuables stored in a vault or difficult to find location?
This may seem like an obvious tip, but don’t be lazy! Putting precious items like jewelry in a drawer, in the closet, under the bed, or just out in the open will make them easy targets. Invest a little time in making your valuables the hardest to find items in your house.
4. Are there any steps I can take to make the interior of my house look occupied?
Installing lights with automatic timers are a great way to give the illusion of an active household.
5. Do I have a first class home alarm system installed?
The Miami ADT alarm system provides motions detectors, security cameras, sirens, and door/window censors that quickly alert the authorities of an intruder, giving a swift response to any threats and sending a clear signal to would be thieves that your home is off limits.
6. Have I alerted my security company of my travel plans?
Provide ADT home security with similar details of your itinerary and expected visitors as you did your neighbor. This will simultaneously put increased scrutiny upon your property while preventing false alarms when your friend or house sitter checks up on things.
