Here’s How To Keep Your Home Safe While Away On Vacation This Summer

Summer is the busiest time of year when it comes to homeowners taking a vacation. In fact, it has been reported nearly half of all American’s will take a vacation during the summer months.  Thieves know this, and as a result, the FBI statistics show that home burglaries increase by upwards of 18% in July and August.  The good news is that nine out of 10 of those home break-ins could have been prevented.

Here is what you should and shouldn’t do before leaving for vacation this summer to keep your home safe while you’re away.

DO’S

Do make sure all the windows and doors in your home are locked and secured when you leave.  This may sound obvious but in the haste of leaving for vacation something as simple of this could be easily overlooked.

Do reinforce and secure any sliding glass doors in your home by using a piece of wood in the track or by placing a metal rod in the track. This helps prevent intruders from gaining access to your home via the door.

Do take a look at your home from the exterior before leaving and make sure no valuable belongings are easily seen from the street.  Is your expensive TV easily visible or your electronics easily observed? If so,  find a way to block it from view.

Do unplug your automatic garage door before you leave for vacation so that thieves are not able to open it with a universal remote, and also lock the door to your attached garage.

Do make it appear as if you are home by investing in a timer that will turn the lights off and on inside your home during the evening hours.

Do make sure the exterior of your home is well lit.

Do arrange to have your lawn maintained while you are away. Tall grass is a sure sign that someone may not be home.

Don’t hide a key somewhere outdoors that could be found by thieves.

Don’t leave a GPS in your car while away if you plan to leave your car parked in long-term parking at the airport.  Thieves have been known to use this as a means to find a vacant home to burglarize.

Don’t announce to the world that you will be leaving on vacation via your blog or social media.  Wait till you return from vacation to post all those family pictures.

Don’t keep all the blinds in your home closed while you are away if this is not your norm. Instead, leave only those blinds open that thieves would be noticed if caught looking in.

Enjoy your summer vacations and be proactive in taking steps to keep your home safe while away.

Here is a great guide that Consumers Advocate has put together on keeping your home safe.

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