10 simple safety tips to protect your home while away

It’s hard to relax on vacation when all you can think about is whether or not your home is safe while you’re away. It’s very easy, however, to free your mind of those worries with a simple checklist to secure your home before you head out on your adventures.

See this list in photos: 

Photos: 10 tips for a safe home on vacation

• If you are going to be gone for more than a few days, place a quick call or stop by the post office to put a hold on your mail. If you don’t have the time, ask a neighbor or close friend to pick up your mail and newspapers each day so it doesn’t look like you aren’t home.

• Tell a trusted neighbor you’ll be gone and leave an extra key with them just in case of an emergency.

• Set automatic timers for lights, TVs and radios to create the illusion someone is home.

• Leave a car in the driveway so it seems someone may be at your house.

• Don’t tip off would-be robbers by announcing publicly on social sites you are leaving. This is one of the easiest ways to have someone invade your home while you are away.

 

• If you haven’t already, make sure it is evident you have a home security system by prominently placing signs in your yard and stickers on your windows. 

• Keep on your grass-mowing schedule. Hire a family friend or neighborhood teen to have your yard mowed at least once during your trip.

 

• Check the outside of your house before you leave and trim large bushes or overgrown brush to make sure there is nowhere for intruders to hide around your house.

• Unplug any unnecessary electrical appliances – extra TVs, radios and computers – just in case there is a power surge. You’ll also want to double check toasters, coffee makers and other small appliances are unplugged for safety’s sake. 

• Make sure not to leave out any spare keys while you're gone. Put these inside or hand over to a neighbor for safekeeping.

See this list in photos: 

Photos: 10 tips for a safe home on vacation

 

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Twinkle VanWinkle ponders, creates and discovers cool stuff about music, movies, food, fashion and so forth. Her thoughtful writings and interactives give great advice about healthy food, cooking tips, DIY projects, fashion and more. She’ll teach you a thing or two about music as well. Along with producing dynamic entertainment content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.