Tips For Keeping Your Home Safe While On Vacation

Vacation season is in full swing! The car is packed and the hotel is booked, but is your home ready to be left behind? The Insurance Information Institute states that the majority of home break-ins occur during July and August. Don’t let a few simple mistakes cost you. These easy tips can save you big and keep you worry-free on your next adventure.

Keep Your Home Looking Fresh

While you’re gone, it's important to maintain the appearance of your home. Tall grass or a pile of newspapers in the driveway can be a green light for intruders. Pay a neighbor to mow the grass and collect your mail. Maybe they can even water your ferns while they’re at it.

Make It Look Like You Never Left

Keep a car parked in the driveway and buy timers for lights or televisions. Set them to come on at various times of the day to create the illusion that someone is home. Intruders are less likely to show interest in your home if it looks like you're still in it.

Get Monitored

A security system is a great tool to give you peace of mind while you enjoy your hard-earned vacation. Many insurance companies even give discounts to customers with security systems. Just make sure that you place signs and stickers in your yard and on your windows to show your house is monitored. This can steer thieves away before they even set foot on your property.

Keep Quiet

You’ve been saving up for months and you can’t wait to hit the beach, but the last thing you want to do is share your travel plans on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. As harmless as it may seem to post that pic of your toes in the sand or little Jimmy riding the teacups at Disney World, you’re sending an open invite for intruders to come on over to your empty house.

While these tips are not a sure guarantee that your house will not become a victim to a break-in, they can definitely help. Take precautions before you leave so you can vacation worry-free and avoid coming home sorry.