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How to Keep Your Home Secure When You’re Traveling

You wouldn’t travel to a far off destination without travel insurance any more than you would purchase a home without homeowner’s insurance just in case something catastrophic like a fire broke out. 

You also wouldn’t purchase new home systems and appliances without the proper warranties. Or, if you’ve purchased an existing home, and some of the warranties have expired, for just a few bucks per month you can purchase a Cinch home warranty that will cover the expensive repairs or even the replacement of your heating/cooling systems and kitchen appliances. 

But what happens when you’re away from home adventuring in some far off land and your home is empty? How can you make certain it’s secure in real-time? 

According to a recent report by Forbes, lots of you look forward to your vacations for weeks and months ahead of time. It’s the one chance you have to enjoy maybe a couple of weeks or even a month as far away from the stress-filled daily pressures of work, TV, bed. But while you’re away, you want to make sure your home is secure and safe. 

In the 2020’s one of the simplest options is to purchase a high-quality home security camera system that you can access via your smartphone. Of course, these systems can run a lot of money that you might otherwise put toward your overseas adventure. If that’s the case, here are some tips you can utilize to increase your home security during your next trip, without having to break the bank.  

Set Your Interior and Exterior Lighting on a Timer

Just having lights on inside and outside your home is said to be one of the most obvious indications that your home is not empty. Conversely, a totally dark home is a magnet for intruders.   

You might choose to forgo the timer to keep your lights on for the duration of your trip. But if you’re planning to be away for a few weeks, this will not only run up your energy bill, it could pose a potential fire hazard.  

With that in mind, a timer is the way to go. For all you know, you have a couple of timers hanging around already. Timers are said to be a cost-effective method for increasing home security inside and outside your house when you’re far away. 

Timers can be set to automatically turn your lights on and off at the identical times you would typically be home. It’s best to set up a few timers on different floors of the house so that it gives the appearance that several people are inside the house, both up and downstairs.  

Ask a Friend or Relative to Check on Your House

If you’ve decided to take an extended trip overseas, another inexpensive and smart idea is to ask a friend or relative to check on your home a few times per day. This not only ensures that your home is okay, but it will bring some human presence and motion to the home. A car in the driveway doesn’t hurt either. 

You can meet with the individual who will checking on your home prior to your departure and hand him a spare key. If he is a single person, you might even offer him the opportunity to stay at the home. Keep in mind, it’s never a good idea to hide a key under the welcome mat since this is one of the first places intruders look.

Make sure whoever is taking care of your home picks up your mail and newspaper, that is you still have one delivered to your home in this digital day and age. Overflowing mailboxes and packages that haven’t been retrieved are red meat for hungry intruders. 

Keep a Vehicle Parked in the Driveway

Says Forbes Magazine, unless you need your car for getting to your vacation destination, you might consider leaving it parked not in the garage but in the driveway. This security measure costs you nothing and it can give the impression that at least someone is presently home. It’s all about creating the illusion of home occupancy. 

If you need to use your car for your trip, then ask a friend, neighbor, or family member if they wouldn’t mind parking one of their extra vehicles in the driveway. You can offer to pay them for the favor and even toss in a free carwash for their effort. 

Curtains and Blinds

You might automatically close all the curtains and blinds prior to leaving the house to prevent anyone from looking through your windows. But is this really a good idea? Shuttering the home completely is said to draw more attention to your home than not. Therefore, close a few blinds and curtains, but leave the ones open that you might normally leave open.  

Remember, making your home more secure while you’re visiting a far away land is all about creating the impression that you haven’t stepped two feet out your front door.