The excitement of travelling or going on vacation can sometimes make you forget to take safety precautions to make sure that your house is safe and secure. These home security tips for when you’re on vacation will help ensure that you won’t return to any unpleasant surprises.
1. Lock all windows and doors:
It is common knowledge to know all your doors are supposed to be locked when travelling or going on vacation but some people tend to forget the windows as well. Windows are also weak points so keep them all locked to prevent thieves or burglars. Apart from burglars if your windows are left open, animals, wind or rain can get into your house hence it’s important you lock up properly.
2. Leave your security lights on:
I know this might sound weird owing to the fact that your light bill might go up if you live your lights on, but darkness is a trademark of an empty house and you do not want to give thieves the confirmation that nobody’s home. What you can do is to purchase a light switch timer that can turn your lights on and off automatically according to a programmed schedule. This is a valid home security tip that would keep criminals off your property as they would assume someone is flipping the light switch.
3. Do not give out Too much Information on Social media:
Yes we know we are in an era where everything is posted and seen on social media but it is not safe to publicly share details of your trip or plans on social media. Potential thieves may be lurking and once they see the confirmation that you are far away they make their move.
If it seems difficult for you to resist the urge to post on social media you can simply change the settings of your social media app where it enables you to post on the private mode to your friends only. Also, do well to remove your location from the tags.
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4. Unplug All Appliances:
In order to avoid cases of electric fires of power surges, it is very important that you do not forget to unplug your appliances. Do not only turn them off but also unplug them. Appliances include TVs, microwave, refrigerator, lamp, electric cooker and so on.
5. Remove Your Spare Key:
You might think your spare key is perfectly hidden but a clever and seasoned criminal would find it if he wants to. So to be on the safe side, never leave your spare key behind. You can take it or better still hand over to a trusted friend or neighbour for safekeeping.
6. Enlist Your Neighbors:
Telling a trusted neighbour that you’ll be gone for a while is a wise thing to do as they would help keep an eye on the house and be on the lookout for you in case if any unusual occurrence. You can also provide them with your spare key as stated earlier.
7. Get valuables out of sight:
A good rule of thumb is to hide all valuables when you are leaving your house for several days or weeks at a time. Make sure your cash, credit cards, jewelries and so on are not easy to find. If you have a safe box lock it up all there and stash it somewhere safe just in case, it is always better to be on the safe side.
8. Make Your Home Look Lived In:
Let it not be so obvious that there is no one in the house as this could attract criminals to your property. It is best to try to create an illusion that your house is still occupied which is why leaving the security lights as we said earlier is important. You should also try to keep things like they would if you were around.
You could leave your blinds open if you usually do on a normal day. You can also get the help of your friend to come once in a while to clean the outside of your home and take out thrash so that your house still looks neat and put together rather than dusty. This is even more crucial owing to the fact that the harmattan season is upon us and with harmattan brings dust.
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