That feeling of packing your bags and heading out on vacation is unbeatable, but for many homeowners, a nagging worry remains: is my house secure? Leaving your property vacant for days or weeks could inadvertently signal to potential intruders that the coast is clear. The good news is that with a few key strategies, you will minimize risks and keep your home safe until you return.
Keep Your Home Safe Through Deterrence
The most effective strategy to keep your home safe is creating the illusion of presence. Intruders prefer easy, quick targets, so even simple signs of activity are powerful deterrents. Don’t rely on one porch light left on constantly for a week; that’s an obvious sign of absence. Instead, use smart plugs or timers on interior lamps, setting them to turn on and off in random, realistic patterns, such as the living room light in the early evening and a bedroom light later at night. If you have smart lighting, set up a random vacation mode to mimic regular activity. An overflowing mailbox or a pile of packages on the doorstep is a sign that nobody is home. The most critical step to keep your home safe from this visible clue is to arrange for your mail and newspapers to be held by the post office or delivery services, or ask a trusted neighbor to collect them daily.
Physical Security Measures to Keep Your Home Safe
Beyond the visual deception, focus on the physical defenses of your home. Double-check every window, including those on the basement and second floors. Ensure all exterior doors are locked and utilize deadbolts for added security. If you have a sliding door, insert a wooden dowel or metal rod into the bottom track to prevent it from being pried open. The garage is a common entry point. Check that the interior door between the garage and the house is locked. If you have a side service door on the garage, ensure it is also equipped with a high-quality deadbolt. Additionally, disconnect your automatic garage door opener or lock the manual release lever to prevent tech-savvy intruders from using universal remotes or simple tools to gain access.
Delegating Responsibilities and Avoiding Social Media Signals
Before you leave, establishing a local contact and maintaining privacy online are critical, yet often overlooked, elements to keep your home safe. Ask a reliable, non-traveling neighbor or friend to be your emergency contact. Give them a key and ask them to check on the house periodically. They can also park a different car in your driveway occasionally to reinforce the occupied look. Make sure they know how to reach you and have the contact information for your security company or home monitoring provider. As tempting as it is to post beautiful vacation photos, sharing your location in real-time is essentially announcing to the world that your house is empty. Wait until you return home to post your travel pictures. Exercising this caution is one of the easiest, yet most effective, ways to keep your home safe. By being discreet, you minimize unnecessary risk.
EZ Home Inspectors provides home inspection services to the Houston area. Contact us to schedule an inspection.