Summer has arrived and you are obviously already planning your vacation. Before you start looking for the place you want to go, how to travel and what to pack, preparing your home with wifi cameras and other security solutions should be your first step. 4 in 5 burglaries occur when a house is empty – especially in the summer when July and August are recorded as the months with the most frequent burglaries.
To prepare for your summer trip, here are the most useful and effective tips for home security while you are on vacation. The main concern is to prepare your home in such a way that it will not look empty.
Avoid Social Media Posts that contain any details from your vacation
We know it’s tempting to share your summer getaway with friends and post photos online, but unfortunately, this can do more harm than good. Statistics show that 65% of burglars somehow know the victims of the burglary. Whether they are your friends on Facebook or followers on Instagram, posting that you are on vacation, they know that your house is empty. Avoid posting your location, your itinerary, and when you leave, as burglars use these sites to see if it is “safe” to enter a home.
Mail in the mailbox during the summer holidays
When burglars search for a vacant home, they notice that there is a lot of mail in the mailbox. Mailboxes are the flagship of an empty house. Ask a neighbor once a day to check and pick up any mail and keep them at home until you return.
Make your home look occupied
Making your home look occupied is essential to keeping it safe. Ask your neighbor (if possible) to go to your house every day and move objects in the garden or on the terrace so that these changes are visible to someone who is actively near the house. Such possible moves may be: changing the arrangement of the plants, different arrangement of some decorative rocks, moving the chairs around a table in such a way that it looks like some people have just sat down.
Smart bulbs are a great way to make the house look occupied when you are miles away. Lighting can be programmed via a smart home app on your phone to turn it on and off at a specific time – or manually to make it look seamless and random. When using smart home lighting on vacation, try to turn your lights on and off at least 3 to 4 times during the day for about 1 hour each time.
Installation of CCTV security cameras
Wireless external cameras and video intercom are the best way to stay safe and have an extra eye on your home 24/7. Home security cameras have become more innovative in recent years, allowing you to see your cameras on your phone, wherever you are. Most cameras incorporate motion detection and can send you an instant notification whenever motion is detected, allowing you to stay connected live from your vacation spot.
Disconnect devices
Any large electronics such as your TV, computers and high-tech items that include wiring should be disconnected before departure. If you have sockets with many wires together, this is a potential fire hazard in your home. If you are on vacation, you cannot monitor your electronics – which can be extremely dangerous.
Look all valuables and make sure they are not visible through windows
Important valuables such as expensive electronics, smart home items, jewelry, etc. should be stored in a safe area when you are away. Objects that remain visible through your windows are particularly attractive and vulnerable to anyone looking through your windows. Remove all these items from your window and store them in a drawer or closet.
Check windows, garage doors, side doors.
Make sure you lock up before you leave! As you prepare to leave, go through every window and door to make sure they are properly locked, even if you are running late. If you have smart locks in your home, keep checking them throughout your vacation to make sure they are locked and that your home is safe.
When installing cameras around your home, place wireless security cameras near windows and high-traffic doors. You can monitor them when you are away and be alerted to any motion detection.
Clean up your landscape
Unfortunately, we cannot stop mother nature. If you are going on a long vacation, too much grass will be a sign to anyone that the house is empty.
If possible, ask a gardener to mow your lawn in the meantime. If you are going to be away for a short time, mow your lawn and water the plants just before you leave so that the grass does not grow too much and the plants look well maintained.
An important home safety tip is to clean often your surrounding area. Remove children’s toys, clean around plants and collect leaves whenever you can. If you do not often take care of the condition of your landscape, you send a message that the homeowner does nor not care about his property and probably does not have security measures to keep the house safe.
