Summer is the time of year we all look forward to as we take the time out to vacation and visit family.  Unfortunately, summer months also mean empty homes which burglars can take advantage of.  Besides packing and finalizing your itinerary, you should also think about keeping your home safe along with your personal belongings while you are away.  Locking all doors and windows including your garage is the first step to protecting your home because the last thing you want to come back to is a burglarized home.

Take a look at the information below to see how you can keep your home safe while you are away on summer vacation with your family.

Tips on Keeping your Home Safe

  • Purchase a timer that will turn lights on and off in your home while you are away.
  • If blinds or curtains are usually open leave them that away, closed ones inform a burglar you are not home.
  • Have a friend or neighbor put out trash on trash day and back in at end of day.
  • Remove any spare keys you may have outside and place them in a safe spot inside your locked home.
  • Install an alarm or if you have one set it so in the event of a break in police will be alerted.  Let your alarm company know that you will be out of town.
  • Install motion sensor lights near your front and back door.
  • Arrange for lawn care services if you plan on being away for an extended period of time so that the appearance of activity is present.
  • Unplug any electronics to prevent any power surges while you are away.

Other Tips to Keep In Mind

  • Try to not post information about your vacation on social media until you get home.
  • Stop newspaper delivery services as piled paper is an obvious sign that home is currently vacant.
  • Contact the Post office to hold your mail as this can be a clear indicator that no one is home.
  • Ask a friend or neighbor to look after your home while you are away and give them a telephone number they can contact you at.
  • Keep a list of expensive items with their serial numbers and a detailed description.  It will help to have this information on hand in case of a break in to help ease the paper work process.
  • Remember to move all expensive items or jewelry boxes out of plain sight.