Many families anticipate going away on vacation, but many don’t anticipate all of the dangers that can occur to their home while away. There are some measures that can be taken to help prevent burglaries and other damages from taking place. Nothing can offer a 100% guarantee of safety for your home, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. To start, it is important that you think like a thief.

If you’ve ever watched the show “It Takes a Thief”, you know how this works. You must prowl around your home looking for ways a burglar could gain access into your home. Before you leave for your trip, you need to ensure that all windows and doors are locked – this includes doggy doors, garage doors and windows on the top floors. Just because you wouldn’t be able to climb up to the second or third floor doesn’t mean a burglar couldn’t. You will also need to make sure that a thief casing your neighborhood isn’t able to tell you aren’t home. Keep all of your windows completely covered with blinds, curtains or both.

There are supplies out now that allows individuals to see inside your peephole, so make sure to have them covered as well. Make it so that no one on the outside can see what’s going on in the inside. You might want to look into purchasing devices that will automatically turn on and off lights, radios and televisions at specific times. Thieves look for inactivity, so by having this will make it seem like someone is home.

Secure Your Property

If you have an alarm installed in your home, make sure that it is turned on before you leave. You can also have a second pair of eyes watching your home; ask your neighbors to keep a look out for strange activities around your home. Make sure to let them know not to inform strangers approaching your home that you are away – these could be the thieves casing the property. Motion sensor lights are great for the outside of your home. Have these installed all around your house, so that they flash on when someone approaches. Thieves hate bright lights, so likely this will scare them away. Your neighbors can also use this as a hint that someone is near your home. Leave behind emergency phone numbers for them to contact you in case anything does occur.

If you are leaving a car behind, make sure to park it in the garage to avoid break-ins or it being stolen. Some people like to keep a spare key somewhere around the home, thieves know this; so don’t leave one behind while you’re vacating.

Besides trying to prevent burglaries, you should unplug all electrical items and make sure everything is turned off to avoid a fire.

Put a Hold on Your Mail

Once you know what dates you will be away from your home, call the post office, newspaper companies or any other places that delivers items to you and let them know to hold your things until you return. Seeing newspapers and mail stocked up out front lets thieves know you are away.

After having your home secured and neighbors notified, you can put your mind at ease and enjoy your trip!

And if you’re still packing for your trip, you can find deals on Groupon from shops like Hudson’s Bay.