A residence that is vacant during holidays becomes an easy target
for break-ins and robberies. This article presents a few tips that will
make your home appear less attractive to crooks, and harder to access
if they do decide to rob it.
Even if you don't live in a high-crime area, your house could be
targeted for burglary while you are on vacation. Here is some
information that should help you protect your home.
• Do not
leave notes for housesitters, service people, friends, or relatives on
your door before you leave. Crooks can read as well as anyone, and the
notes are a sign that you are away from home.
• Take photos of
people who might need to access your property, such as the student who
takes care of your yard, and your petsitter. Email or print the photos,
and give copies to the person watching your home.
•
Alternatively, you could provide authorized people a letter signed by
you that they would be required to present to your housesitter when
asked.
• If you have an appropriate alarm system, configure it so
that you receive email alerts via smartphone if there is any indication
of trouble.
• Has a roofer, plumber, or other tradesperson used
your bathroom facilities recently? Confirm that the window is closed and
secured. Sometimes, burglars will unlock or open a window to permit
access when they return.
• Crooks usually watch a home for a
while, ranging from hours to weeks, before they break in. If they can
predict when your house will be vacant, that's when they will strike. Do
everything you can to make outsiders believe that somebody is home.
•
Burglars love routines. If they see someone checking your home at the
same time every day, they will plan to break in before or after, when
they consider it most safe. Try to arrange for your house minder to
randomize a check-in schedule.
• Remember that an intruder wants
to get in as quickly as possible. Anything you can do to delay entry
will help to dissuade the effort.
• Do not reveal your holiday
plans to local tradespeople, cashiers, or casual friends. How well do
you really know them? And who might be eavesdropping on your
conversation?
• Use a business address or the address of a friend
on all luggage labels and tags when you travel. Why advertise that you
are away from home, and then let people know where you live?
•
Analyze your house to see if second floor access is made easier by
fences, stairways, balconies, etc. Windows in these areas are especially
susceptible to break-ins. Do what you can to remedy the situation.
•
Sometimes, an intruder will gain entry just to check your calendar for
notations of holidays and appointments. The entry will remain
undetected, and the crook will plan a break-in for when you are away.
Therefore, it is important to be vigilant at all times, not just before
you leave on vacation.
• If your vacation is during the summer,
do not turn off your air conditioner completely. On a sweltering day, an
inactive unit signals, "Nobody is home here!"
A little knowledge and advance preparation could save your next vacation. Why wait? Start burglarproofing your home now.
(c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann:
This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the
byline, and the author's note below (with active links) are included.
About the Author:
Kathy has written two helpful eBooks full of travel tips:
Top Tips for Travel by Air
This
eBook contains over 300 tips in 11 categories, covering a variety of
topics from packing, to airport security procedures, to what you should
do on arrival at your destination. Business and leisure travelers alike
will benefit from the advice provided.
Top Tips for Packing Your Suitcase
This
is a compilation of tips that should make the job easier. Create your
own packing strategy by reading about what other people do. You will
find advice for choosing the right luggage, how and what to pack,
packing for the kids, preparing for a camping trip, how to choose the
right sunscreen - and more. Article source: 111 Travel Directory: Triple1.com (triple one dot com)
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