June 20, 2018
- Contact the post office to let them know to hold your mail. The United States Postal Service provides a free service to retain your mail for up to 30 days. You can schedule for them to hold your mail on the U. S. Postal Service website.
- Install timers to have your lights turn on for a few hours in the evening. It is very costly to keep your lights on during your entire vacation and it is obvious to a criminal that you are gone if the lights are on in the middle of the night. Criminals will see the lights flick on and off and assume that a person is home.
- Lock every door and window, even small spaces like pet doors. Make sure all keys are accounted for and do not hide a key somewhere outside as criminals know the usual hiding places. It is also a good idea to turn off the garage door, thieves can open it up with a universal remote.
- Although costly, it is a good idea to hire a house sitter to water the plants, collect newspapers and take care of pets. If you have a few pets, it will be cheaper to hire a pet sitter than to board them. To make your house seem lived in, it is also a good idea to hire a landscaper to mow your lawn while you’re away.
- Don’t let a lot of people know you are about to be out of town for a long period of time, especially on social media. Do not post pictures of your vacation until after you are back home. Even if you have high security settings on your social media accounts, it could be possible for unwanted eyes to see your posts.
- Install a home security system and video cameras. Not only will you be instantly notified if anything happens, you will also be able to easily see what is going on on an app on your smartphone. It will ensure you have peace of mind so that you will be able to enjoy your relaxing vacation.
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