Home Safety: Securing Your Home Before a Vacation

Have a fun-filled spring break vacation planned? Before you hit the slopes or the sandy beaches, you’ll want to properly secure your home. Because even though you’re going on vacation, burglars aren’t—that’s why it’s important to stop them before they start.

You’ll want to make sure doors and windows are secure (it doesn’t hurt to double- and triple-check, either), and think about installing timer lights, which turn on at night to give the impression that someone is inside. Arrange to have your mail held at the post office, or ask a neighbor to collect mail for you—a growing pile of papers and packages on your doorstep is a key indicator you’re away. For more general home security ideas, check out the Every Home Improvement blog.

I especially like Jet Magazine’s approach to burglar-proofing your home: Think like a burglar. For example, case your home and identify any possible ways an intruder could break in. Perhaps you keep an extra key in your mailbox or under a doormat—don’t! It’s like a free ride for thieves. Instead, hand your spare key over to a trusted friend or relative while away.

In fact, this home security blog takes this idea a step further and suggests hiring a house sitter who stops by a few times a day to check on things, turn on lights, watch TV, bring your mail inside, and help make your home look lived in while you’re away.

Burglar-proofing your home is essential, but it isn’t the only way to prep your home before you go on vacation. Fires, flooding, and electrical mishaps can make your return a not-so-pleasant one. Making sure small appliances are unplugged and adjusting your water heater to the lowest possible heat setting are two ways to keep your home in good shape—and you’ll save energy too!

Until Monday,
The Home Know-It-All

Comments

[Webcam Software]

One of the most useful tips that I got from a friend was to install a vacation cam in the house before one goes on a holiday. He also recommended a webcam software called GotoCamera. This is how it works - Set up a webcam in the room you wish to monitor ( in my case, it was the living room), download the GotoCamera software. The set-up instructions are pretty simple and easy to follow. Once I set it up, I was able to monitor my living room from anywhere in the world by logging into their website. Initially, I tested it by trying to view my camera from my office and it worked! Not only that, GotoCamera also sends me motion detection emails. Pretty cool, I must say. Now I'm ever grateful for that useful tip! Next time you're off on a vacation, don't forget to set-up that vacation cam :)

[Ashish]

There can be number of ways by which burglars can come in and cause threat to your home. So its good to prepare a checklist of all possible routes and security measures that you should adopt to secure your home