It’s that time of year for many of us in the Pittsburgh area…school is out and it’s time to go on vacation! While a vacation should be a time of leisure and enjoyment, a home that appears to be left alone for an extended period of time is at a much higher risk of being robbed. For houses in a secluded area or with easily accessible entry points, this risk becomes even greater.
It may sound scary, but there are some simple ways to reduce the risk of a break in while you’re away and ensure that your valuables remain safe.
1. Buy automatic timers
Use for lamps throughout your home and program them to turn on in the evening. Dark homes appear unattended, and thus stick out in a neighborhood as an easy target. Be sure to have light throughout the house. Having them turn on at different times rather than all at once is also a good idea.
2. Close the blinds and shades
Before you leave make sure you keep others from being able to see inside your home. It sounds simple, but a house with all of its windows open is advertising the expensive electronics placed inside and making it easy to know whether anyone is actually there (see #1).
3. Put a hold on your mail
Much like open blinds, piles of mail in the front of a house are an obvious sign that the owners are away.
4. Have a neighbor stop by
From time to time someone should stop by if for no other reason than to make sure everything is ok.
5. Invest in a home security system
While this is always a good rule of thumb for securing a home against a robbery, it becomes essential if you are going to be away for an extended period of time. Ideally, your system–if activated by a break in–will alert your security company immediately. The company can then notify both you and the police that a possible break in is occurring. Barrier Protection Systems can get you a great home security system at a great price.
These tips might seem relatively simple (they are), but they are also overlooked by too many families before they go out of town. Putting them to use can be the key to making sure your house is not at risk of a break in while you’re enjoying your vacation.
