When warm weather finally arrives, it’s natural for many of us to take that long-awaited vacation to get away from everything. Unfortunately, many will also return home to discover “everything” is nowhere to be found.
According to AAA, in the United States, a home burglary occurs every 13 seconds, and burglary cases are generally higher during peak travel season. By taking a few simple precautions, many home burglaries are preventable. Before you head off to that next vacation, consider these helpful tips:
- Spare keys. Avoid leaving them anywhere outside the house. Consider leaving spare keys to the house and your car(s) with a trusted friend, neighbor or a house sitter.
- Indoor/outdoor lights. Set an automatic timer to periodically turn on and off the lights.
- Windows and doors. Close and lock all of these. Sliding glass doors should also be secured with a slide lock. Do not forget the garage too.
- Insurance. Check that your homeowners policy is current and is paid.
- Don’t overshare. Be careful about broadcasting your upcoming trip or sharing too many details, no matter how excited you are.
- Mail. Ask a close friend, neighbor or house sitter to pick up your daily mail and/or newspaper. In addition, you can also temporarily cancel the newspaper subscription and have the postal service put a hold on your mail until your return.
- Valuables. Arrange to securely and safely store any valuables in an off-site location.
- Curtains and blinds. Do not leave these in a closed-down position. Remove expensive electronics away from the windows, where they can be easily spotted and targeted.
- Cars. If you own more than one car, park it halfway up the driveway to deter burglars from pulling a vehicle close to your house. Be sure that any vehicle left unattended for an extended time is protected with an anti-theft device.
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