Keeping Your Home And Valuables Safe While Traveling

If you are traveling away from home, you need to take some steps in order to make sure that it is safe from theft. It is a common occurrence for burglars to watch over homes and wait for people to leave, so that they make an appropriate plan. If you are thinking of keeping your home and valuables safe while traveling, here are some tips.

A thief is looking for an unoccupied home that they can get into easily. It could be an unlocked door or a window. What they are also looking for is a good amount of cover, and the best way to escape the crime scene. Here are some things that you can do to keep your home and valuables safe.

Check your insurance first

The first step is to be certain that you have the necessary cover and that it is valid while you are not at home. The logical step is to buy the appropriate level of insurance for your possessions. However, you need to make sure that there are no exclusions in your policy that would make it void if you are not at home for more than a given number of days. It might be important to know whether letting a house-sitter take care of your pets requires notifying the insurer. You should also know whether you are covered if a person who is not a family member’s stays in your home.

Check everything before you leave

Make sure that all the doors and windows are locked and bolted. Keep in mind points of entry such as your basement and garage. Unplug everything that isn’t necessary to stay turned on. Simply walk around your home and check whether anything unnecessary is plugged in, such as ovens, clocks, printers, stereo systems, and video units. Pay special attention to all your computers, laptops, cable boxes, and televisions. If an electrical surge happens, it may cause great damage. During winter, turn the heat down, but don’t turn it off. If you do this, you might end up with a frozen pipe that can burst.

Make sure your garden is being taken care of

Landscaping can have a great effect on potential thieves. If a local service is taking care of your garden, keep them busy while you are away. When your hedges are trimmed, the windows are in plain sight and not as tempting for a thief. If your lawn is taken care of, it makes it look as if you are still at home and maintaining it. In the case that you do not have a landscaping service, employ a neighbor to mow the lawn for you. If it is wintertime you will want to make sure that someone is plowing your driveway. It’s essential that your property is well-lit; so make sure that you install outside lighting with motion sensors, to scare the thieves away.

Keep the valuables safe

It’s logical that your valuables need to be out of sight. If you want to conceal them in your home, don’t go for obvious hiding places like a fake food can in the kitchen, a sock drawer, or the freezer. The best solution would, of course, be not to leave anything truly valuable behind. But the fact is that you just can’t bring everything along with you. Place your belongings in multiple locations in your home which are hard to reach, and leave some money and cheap items in a place that is more obvious. Burglars mostly just want to get in, take something valuable, and get out as fast as they can. If you really don’t want to leave any valuables at home, you can invest in a super cheap storage of some kind, where your things will be secured by professionals.

Don’t brag about being on holiday

While it may be tempting to post on your social media outlets about how you are spending your time on a wonderful beach; it is the best idea to refrain from doing so. Don’t let the public know about your travel plans. It’s better to wait until you get home to write about and post all the pictures of what you have experienced. You don’t know who might be reading your comments.

In Summation

In order to keep your home and valuables safe while traveling, all that it takes is a little common sense. Be smart about it, you’ll keep potential burglars away. Follow these 5 tips and enjoy your holidays in peace.