Leaving for Thanksgiving? Five Home Security Tips to Keep Your Home Protected
Families all over the country will soon be celebrating Thanksgiving, and that means that many of them will be traveling to see their relatives. Unfortunately, criminals don’t take holidays off. In fact, burglars prefer to strike when families have left their homes empty for a few days. Take these easy steps to prevent your Thanksgiving from being spoiled by a burglary.
Light Up the House
Leave your porch lights on so that burglars have a hard time breaking in without being seen. You can also put your indoor lights on timers so that they turn on and off during the night, making it appear that someone is home. Another smart move is installing a few motion lights if you don’t have them already. Any human who walks by will activate the bright light and draw a great deal of attention to themselves. Be sure to test the lights before leaving and change any burned out bulbs.
Arrange for a Checkup
There’s no substitute for a pair of human eyes looking over your property to make sure that everything is in order. Ask a friend, relative, or trustworthy neighbor to stop over a few times to check on everything. They should look for any signs of a break-in such as broken windows or expensive items missing. You can also let the local police department know that you’ll be out of town; they will send an officer to drive by a few times to scare off any burglars who may be casing your home.
Set the Alarm
It goes without saying that an alarm monitored by a Miami ADT home security company is one of the most important steps for preventing burglaries while you’re on vacation. Getting past motion detectors, doorway alarms, and window break sensors is too much for most thieves to manage. Your ADT Miami security contractor can also install some closed-circuit television cameras so that you can view certain areas of the house from the Internet or your smart phone while you’re gone. Be sure to give the passcode to whoever is checking up on the house so that they don’t set off the alarm accidentally.
Don’t Brag
As exciting as it is to leave for a holiday vacation, you should resist the temptation to announce your plans on social media. Believe it or not, burglars scour such websites to learn about vacation plans. They can easily amass a lengthy list of unoccupied homes to break into. You can post announcements and pictures of your vacation after you’re home and the opportunity for theft has passed.
Stop Deliveries
Things like newspapers, mail, and packages should be put on hold while you are out of town. The sight of these things accumulating at the front door will be a signal for burglars that they can break in without their crime being discovered for at least a day or two. You can visit your local post office and request that your deliveries be put on hold until you come home.
As a homeowner, you should always acknowledge the threat of a burglary. However, you don’t have to sacrifice your peace of mind in your efforts to prevent it. These methods will allow you to stop worrying about intruders and focus on enjoying Thanksgiving with your family.
