Vacation Time is Burglary Time

Vacation should be a time for relaxation and fun. After all, the word “vacation” is an extension of “vacate” which means to leave. When you go on vacation, you are leaving your everyday life. You are leaving your permanent home to go live somewhere else for a while. Unfortunately, when you vacate your house, burglars are waiting in the wings to move in and take your valuables.

Many homes are burglarized while the homeowners are on vacation because the burglar knows he has enough time to get in, take what he wants and get out with very little chance of being caught. There are specific signs a burglar looks for to tell him that a house is unoccupied, at least for the time being. Home security systems experts say that criminals will actually cruise neighborhoods looking for these indications that someone is on vacation.

Here are some ways to make burglars think you are at home when you are actually on vacation so you can avoid coming home to a burglarized home.

1. Mow your lawn right before you leave for vacation. If you are only going to be gone for a few days, that should be enough to let burglars know that you are home since you are taking good care of your lawn. If you are going to be gone for a week or longer, ask a family member or neighbor to keep your grass mowed until you return.

2. Either have the post office hold your mail for the time you are gone or have a trusted neighbor pick it up for you on a daily basis. This also goes for newspapers.

3. A trusted neighbor can also drag your garbage cans to the curb on the appointed day to make it appear that you are still doing your daily tasks.

4. Forward your home phone to your cell phone and don’t indicate on your answering machine that you are going to be out of town.

5. Let trusted neighbors know that you are going on vacation, how long you will be gone and what to do if they see anything suspicious.

6. One of the best ways to make your home look lived in is to actually hire someone you trust to live in it while you are gone. This person will take care of your home while you are away and will make the house look occupied because it is. Just make sure your house sitter knows how to properly operate the home security system before you leave.

About the Author –
John is a shrewd consumer who writes about personal finance, home technology and home security topics like: home security, Boston home security systems and Charlotte NC home security.