Home Safety Tips While on a Summer Vacation
Many families will be taking a vacation in the next month or so before the children go back to school. The last thing you want is to come back from a fun vacation and find that a burglar has victimized your house. Here are five times to use before you go on vacation.
Before you leave for your summer vacation, you need to do what you can to make sure your home and belongings are protected while you are gone. Safeguard against crime and other issues by taking the following precautions:
• Stop your mail and newspaper delivery. If your mailbox is overflowing while you are away, criminals will be alerted that you aren’t home. If you don’t have a friend who will be bringing in your mail, contact the post office to temporarily suspend delivery. Do the same with your newspaper — if you are one of the few who still actually gets the paper delivered.
• Keep quiet. You don’t need to broadcast to everyone (especially on sites like Facebook) that you are going to be away. You never know who is going to be reading or listening. Instead, tell a few select people in your neighborhood so that they can keep an eye on your house.
• Fake them out. Set up an electrical timer to turn lights and TVs on at various time to fool potential intruders into thinking you are at home. Set the timer to reflect your normal routine.
• Consider shutting off gas and water. If you are going to be gone an extended period of time, consider shutting off your utilities to avoid potential flooding, fire or gas leaks.
• Have a trusted neighbor keep an eye on your home. This is a favor of mine for keep your house safe. You can return the favor when they go on vacation.
Thanks for Sheknows.com for these simple summer home vacation safety tips. Enjoy your summer vacation!
