Safeguarding the Home for Safe Travels

When you take a vacation or go on a trip with the family it’s always important to travel safely and that starts, strangely enough, before you even leave the house. Preparing for the trip is important to ensure you have a safe and sound journey, but you also need to make all the necessary provisions so that your home remains secure while you are away. Each year an estimated 2,000,000 home burglaries are reported by homeowners in the United States and it is crucial that take every precaution necessary to make sure that your home doesn’t join the ranks.

For starters, figure out how long you are going to be traveling. If you are going to be away for a couple days, then arrange to have your neighbors pick up your mail and newspaper while you are away. Why? Potential intruders look for signs that a home is empty and an overfilled mailbox and stacks of unclaimed newspapers are like a red flag. Of course, if you can’t arrange for anyone to pick up your mail while you travel you can work it out with the postal carrier and they can hang onto it for you until you return.

Another way you can safeguard your home while you travel is by investing in a timer for your electrical appliances. Most department stores sell these and they can help create the illusion that someone is actually in the house while you are away. These simple little timers plug into any electrical outlet and all you need to do is plug a lamp into it and program the clock for when you want the lamp to automatically turn on and then turn off. There are a variety of timers for a variety of situations that can be purchased to make potential intruders think twice before letting themselves in.

And, while some might not believe it, leaving some of the blinds open in your home can also greatly enhance the illusion that someone is home. Closing the blinds is typically something many people do when they go to sleep or even leave the house, but leaving the blinds open will give off the impression that someone is actually home while you travel to wherever you are going. And, if you are expecting company or you have an arrangement with the neighbor to water your plants, do not leave a note on the door or leave a key outside the home. Instead, consult with your neighbor beforehand and give them an extra set of keys.

Of course, if none of these ideas make you feel secure enough to leave your home you can always look into a home security system. There are plenty on the market and systems, like the ones monitored by ADT, can offer you round the clock monitoring at a price you can afford.

Regardless of how you decide to secure your home, remember to do it and do it right. The sooner you safeguard your home, the sooner you can focus on your travels.

BIO: Andrew Rosen has been writing for home security providers for a long time. He enjoys not only informing but educating people on the importance of home security – especially during travels.