Home Security Tips While On Vacation
security
Install Timers on Your Electronics
A dark house at night for a week straight is a sure sign that someone is on vacation. By the same token, you don’t want to just flip a light on as you head out the door and leave it on the entire time (yes, I’ve done that, and I know other people who have too).
Luckily, there are a huge variety of timers on the market that plug right into an outlet and turn your lights and other electronics on and off at certain times of day.
Most people only think of using these timers on lamps, but having TVs and/or radios plugged into them is a good idea too to create noise and the flickering lights associated with most American homes in the evening.
Be sure to get the variety of timer that works with random intervals. You don’t want lights that turn on at exactly 7pm and turn off at 10pm every night; if someone is watching the neighborhood, they’ll notice. Some models even pair with your smartphone so you can turn certain outlets on and off at will. (Note that many security systems offer this feature as well.)
Have Someone Mow the Lawn/Shovel the Driveway
Two of the biggest giveaways that someone is away from home are an unkempt lawn and a snowy driveway with not the slightest hint of human movement. So in the summer, find a neighbor kid, family member, friend, or landscaping company to mow your lawn (if it’s one of those first three options, paying them in some way is good form; obviously, you’ll be paying the landscaping company), and in the winter do the same with clearing your driveway and sidewalks of snow.
Also, asking someone to take care of any other outdoor chores that might arise is a good idea. For instance, if a storm comes through and knocks some branches down in everyone’s yard, and you’re the only house that hasn’t picked them up, it’s clear you aren’t home. Hopefully these incidences are few and far between, but they do happen. Neighbors are probably your best bet here, as they’ll be the ones to know if something has happened on your street.
Stop the Mail
An overflowing mailbox and a pile of packages on the front step are clear indications that someone hasn’t been home for a while. It’s incredibly easy to stop your USPS delivery for any amount of time (up to 30 days) and for the dates you specify. They even deliver your mail in a large bundle when you get home.
You can also stop UPS and FedEx service or hold the packages at a pickup location, although those require registration to do so (some services are free, some are paid for). If you know you’re going to be away, it’s best to just not order things that are scheduled to arrive while you’re gone. With carriers other than USPS, it can be a pain to retrieve those packages.
Also stop newspaper delivery; if it’s a city or neighborhood paper that comes for free, you can ask a neighbor to grab yours. (Ours comes on Thursdays in a big blue bag at the end of the driveway, and it’s always obvious through the neighborhood when someone hasn’t picked theirs up by the weekend — a dead giveaway of either a vacationer or a very lazy person, both of which make good targets for burglars!)
Leave the Blinds Open (If You Normally Do)
If you’re someone who regularly leaves the blinds open in your home during the day, don’t go closing them when you leave for vacation. It may seem strange and you might feel that you don’t want anyone peeping into your home while you’re not there, but it’s also an obvious giveaway to burglars that something is outside the normal routine. As already noted, you want things to look normal and lived in — a house that’s all shuttered up for a week straight does not give that appearance.
It gets tricky when you have electronics on a timer; when they turn on at night, it could end up being obvious that there’s nobody in the living room watching the television. So, close the blinds halfway, or close them strategically so that certain areas or rooms are hidden, while blinds in other areas remain open.
