If you’re someone who loves traveling and is often away from home for extended periods of time, it’s important to consider what that means for your home security. There are lots of great ways to protect your property, and it’s worth understanding these options if you want to avoid coming home to a burgled home.
We’re going to take a closer look at the steps you can take to keep your home protected while you’re traveling overseas. Putting in a little extra effort today will save you a lot of problems and headaches later on, so it’s more than worth it. So read on now and find out about how to keep your home safe while you’re out there exploring the world.
Don’t Publicize Your Travels
First of all, you should be careful not to let the world know that you’re going to be away traveling. This is something that many people blast out there on social media and once it gets shared by your friends and family, you lose control over who sees that information unless you set your social media accounts to private. So that’s something to think about. You don’t want the local criminals to know your house is due to be empty for a few weeks.
Set Timers on the Lights
Setting timers for your lights throughout the home is another good way to disguise the fact that no one’s home while you’re traveling. When the lights are on timers, you can decide when they come on and go off. Make it look as natural as possible, programming them to turn on and off at times when you would naturally turn them on and off if you were at home. It’s a pretty simple trick but it really does make the home look like it’s being lived in.
Ensure Your Home Isn’t an Easy Target
The last thing you want your home to be seen as is an easy target. So, with that in mind, you should take steps to secure the fundamental aspects of your home’s security. Strengthening the doors and ensuring the windows are secure too is the first step. This might involve replacing and modernizing the locking systems that your home relies on. If you put update security measures in place, your home isn’t ever going to be seen as an easy target by people who might want to break in.
Rope in People to Help
If you have a friend, family member, or neighbor who owes you a favor, you might want to ask them to drop by every few days or so just to check that everything seems to be as it should be. Having people drop by is also useful as it helps to give the appearance that people are coming and going from the property and that it’s not always empty, which, again, is likely to deter burglars who might be looking to break-in
Set Up Some Security Cameras
If you want to make sure you’re able to keep an eye on your home and what’s happening there no matter where you are in the world, it’s a good idea to put some Spy Cameras in place. These are small hidden cameras that allow you to see what’s happening, and you can often get alerted if there’s any activity in your house that shouldn’t be happening. It’s also a good idea to add some security cameras to the outside of your home, which will offer surveillance and act as a deterrent at the same time.
Request a Temporary Mail Hold
Requesting a hold on your mail is usually a good idea, especially if you’re going to be away for a long period of time and you don’t have anyone who can come by and collect your mail for you. A big pile of mail on the inside of the mailbox of an outdoor mailbox that’s full to bursting and hasn’t been emptied for a long time is a sure sign that no one’s home. So if you want to make sure that you don’t get targeted, be sure to think about this.
Put a Vehicle in the Driveway
Having a vehicle in the drive away is another way of showing the world that someone is home. If you don’t have a vehicle to leave behind, you could simply ask a neighbor to park there. And in some locations, you can even rent out your driveway for people who don’t have their own they can use. That might be a good way to earn a little extra passive income while you’re away, while also making your home a little more secure at the same time.
Keep Valuables Out of Sight
You don’t want to show off to the world all of the expensive and valuable things that might be inside your home while you’re not there. Invest in a safe or even a safety deposit box off-site if you want to make sure your most treasured and most valuable possessions are kept 100% safe while you’re away. You certainly don’t want those kinds of items to be on display for anyone and everyone to see.
Use a Programmable Thermostat You Can Adjust Remotely
Finally, it’s a good idea to think about the thermostat that you’re using in the home. Replacing it with a smart programmable thermostat might be a good idea. These will allow you to adjust the temperature remotely. That’s useful because if the temperature drops, putting the heating on at a low level can prevent issues like frozen pipes, which can quickly turn into burst pipes. You don’t want to be dealing with those kinds of issues when you’re out of the country.
As you can see, there are lots of things you can do to protect your home and ensure it stays safe and secure even when you’re not there. If like us, you love to travel, you can’t afford to overlook matters concerning home security, so be sure to make the most of the tips outlined above.