Keeping Your Home Secure During Extended Absences
When it's time to leave your home for a few months, it's a headache to worry about what could happen while you're not there. Fortunately, certain precautions can be taken each time you plan to be away from home for a long time. Follow along for tips to keep your home secure during any extended leave or vacation.
Add or update your at-home surveillance
Preparation is key to being able to leave your home for an extended period without worry.
If you have old or no surveillance and feel like it's time to upgrade, please do! The advances in technology make it as home safety simple as a couple clicks online, a quick install, and downloading an app. Take, for example, this motion sensor security camera, with real-time notifications and sensor sensitivity controls, is available for less than $30. Cover all the bases by keeping you in the know of what's going on at home while you're gone, and deter strangers from trying to access your property.
Hold or forward newspaper and mail delivery
Two months of your favorite weekly periodical piling up at your door is a neon sign telling burglars this house is open for business. Contact your newspaper company and forward or hold your mail. Let them know how long you'll be gone and where to send it to for the time being. Your friend or family member might get tired of looking at your stockpile of Good Housekeeping, but at least you won't send out bat signals to the neighborhood you've been gone for a long while.
Don't advertise your extended leave online
Posting and sharing your experience on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, etc., can be enjoyable to help your friends feel like they're there with you. You're also inviting potential thieves into your whereabouts and mainly, that you're not currently at home. Send out the mass photos of your vacation after your trip. If you can't wait, make sure you set your profiles to private, and that you don't have any of your handles tied to your phone number or address. Sometimes a simple lookup of a phone number can lead criminals right to your front door.
Keep your ongoing maintenance schedule
Keep landscaping and pool maintenance schedules the same during your time away from home. It may seem like an unnecessary expense, but smart criminals watch for changes in routine when staking out their next home to ransack.
Put valuables in a safe or security box
Lock up anything valuable that is not coming with you. Jewelry, cash, and any expensive items throughout your home are better off not left in the open and locked away under key during your leave. If you feel more comfortable leaving your items to someone you trust, that works too, but you also might not want to put the weight of a prized possession on a friend or family member. Ask us about installing a safe so you don’t have to worry about it being there when you return.
Post signs about your security systems
Even if you don't have the time to update your home surveillance, the facade of having it will keep less serious burglars away. Buy stickers and signs saying that you have 24/7 monitoring and that you prosecute intruders, even if you don't have the system to back up the claim. We do suggest getting some cameras if you'll be gone for months at a time to keep your house safe.
Leave spare keys with a friend or family member
Don't leave a hideaway key if you'll be gone for more than a couple of days. Burglars will find it. Leave a spare key with a loved one for safe-keeping.
Turn off and lock up your garage door
People use universal remotes to access garage doors. Anyone super motivated to access your house will find a way to hack the door opener if it's still in operation. Unplug the opener from the outlet, and use a manual lock.
When leaving your home for a few months for an extended period, you want to relax and enjoy your time away. Following this list of security tips should help you do just that. If you need a safe, new keys, a lock rekeyed, or deadbolts installed, call me. I'd love to help.
Kwik Pick Lock and Safe offer FREE lockout service for children or pets. If you need locksmith services for your Surprise, El Mirage, or Phoenix home or auto, call today! Bill 623-300-1889.
