Few Tips to Secure Your House When On Vacation
Summer is here again, and it’s the perfect time to make sure your home is safe and secure when you go on vacation.
It also helps to take some steps to secure your house in advance of your departure to make sure that you can enjoy your summer trip without having to worry about what might happen while you’re away.
Ottawa Locksmiths offers a few great tips below on how you can keep your home safe while you are gone!
Close Windows
Keep your home secure by closing your windows when you’re not home.
This way, burglars will be discouraged from breaking in through an open window. Also, keep windows closed on occasions when you need to leave momentarily.
Lock Doors
Locking the basic entry points into your home can go a long way toward protecting it from a break-in.
Simply locking all doors by turning the deadbolt, as well as any latched windows, will make it more difficult for a burglar to gain entry. The front door is especially important because it’s usually the most common entrance point for intruders.
Hide Valuables
You want to keep items where they can’t be seen from outside, but you also want them close enough to access when you need them. There are ways to keep your valuables out of sight and within reach at the same time. Shoe boxes and decorative baskets are just two examples of places you can place smaller items like jewelry, cash or even medication. A well-placed coat rack with hooks where you can store umbrellas or coats is another nice way to keep things out of sight when visitors come to your front door. One idea you should consider is using a safe. Safes have gone high-tech today and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of these new types of security devices.
Install Security System
This is one of the most important factors that you can do to increase home security.
This could be in the form of setting up security cameras around the perimeter of your home or having your locks fully replaced with smart lock installation. Doing this will give you peace of mind and also give you more leverage in negotiating with a thief.
Monitor Home Activity
Installing a security system is only part of the equation, as most will allow you to monitor what’s going on around your house, even if you’re not there. So, whether you want to see who’s coming and going from your door (both inside and outside), or turn on an indoor/outdoor camera automatically as soon as your kids unlock their smart door or smart lock after school, these are some of the best smart locks available for home security.
Add Motion Lights
Motion sensor lights can be set up in areas that are vulnerable to thieves. Installing them in your back yard, on the side of your house, and near your shed can help discourage burglars from trying to sneak around at night. Motion lights can also increase visibility for law enforcement and security companies when a crime is being committed – it’s more difficult for a burglar to stay hidden when the light is shining directly on them.
Lawn Upkeep
If you want to make sure nobody is wandering around your property and snooping in your home while you’re away, keeping the exterior looking active and maintained is an efficient way to do so. Ask a trusted neighbor or friend to mow your grass and water plants while you are away. It’s normal for neighbors in communities to ask each other for small favors like this one, especially if they live across the street from each other.
Hold Mail Service
Holding your mail service will also help prevent package theft and hamper someone from learning personal information about your family through names, addresses, and accounts listed on documents in your mail. If a stranger has access to your mail, they may be able to locate where you live through the names and addresses on bills you have recently received, or even by rifling through the contents of envelopes addressed to you directly. The post office does a good job with this, and the couriers are aware of which houses on their route filed a hold request.
With summer around the corner, it’s important to start thinking about how to secure your home. Summertime burglaries are on the rise because people are at work, out of town and in vacation mode all at once. If you want to keep your home safe this summer and beyond, you need a solid foundation derived from these summer security tips.