Six Hacks For Keeping Your Home Safe When You’re On Vacation
Going on vacation is super exciting. Now that it is all booked up and paid for, your bags are packed, and you are headed to the airport, can you be sure that you have taken enough steps to protect your home while you are away? Putting in some extra effort before you leave your house empty will give you extra peace of mind and allow you to fully enjoy your long-awaited break.
As experts in security, at Kodiak Security Services, we have written down some tips and tricks that will help you enjoy your vacation peacefully. Aside from packing and quadruple-checking your luggage, here are six things you should do around the house before you leave on your next vacation.
1. Lock the doors and windows
Locking up might seem too obvious to mention, but an estimated 32% of burglars enter through doors that have neglectfully been left unlocked. Windows are also weak points, so keep them closed and locked, even on the upper floors. A clever burglar can still access them, and an open window anywhere in the house might let in animals, rain, or wind.
2. Clear out the mailbox
Mail piling up is a big tip-off that no one’s home. Have a trusted neighbor, friend, or house-sitter collect your mail and keep it safely out of sight. Alternatively, you can request a temporary mail hold or mail forwarding through USPS.com. If you subscribe to any newspapers or subscription boxes, pause your delivery.
3. Prevent water damage
Some experts recommend turning off the house’s main water supply valve to prevent possible water damage from leaky pipes. This is a viable option if you live in a moderate climate and the house will be empty, but if you live in a cold area or someone will be checking in while you’re gone, you probably want to leave the water on.
4. Don’t broadcast your plans online
This should be obvious, but don’t post about your vacation on social media until after you return (and make sure your family doesn’t either). By sharing travel plans, you’re advertising that your house will be empty. You can never be completely sure who sees that information, especially if you have many followers or a public profile.
5. Leave a car in the driveway
Former burglars have reported that a vehicle in the driveway is a major deterrent in scoping out potential targets because it almost always means that someone is home. It helps to leave your (locked) car where people can see it or see if a neighbor wants to park there.
6. Hide or lock up valuables
Another obvious but often forgotten tip is to hide or lock up valuables. Easy-to-grab expensive items are extremely alluring to criminals. Conceal and secure the high-value items in both your home and garage. Lock up the most important things in a household safe. Remember that many thieves don’t draw the line at stealing physical goods, they also want to steal your identity. Lock up social security cards, financial information, and any personal identification that you’re not bringing with you.
If you are looking for a full-service security guard company in Spokane Valley, WA, reach out to us at Kodiak Security Services. We can provide your business with qualified security guards. Our officers are ready twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, vigilantly watching for and deterring dangerous activity. Together with twenty-four hour local dispatching, we provide faster response times anywhere in the Spokane area. We also have armed guards and conduct mobile patrols in the area.
We offer crowd control and vehicle parking experts, secure construction sites, provide security for events and customer screening in businesses. We offer services like armed guard, standing guard, vehicle patrol, and alarm response to people across Spokane, Spokane Valley, Airway Heights, Cheney, Post Falls, Coeur D’Alene, and the surrounding areas. For a complete list of our services, please click here. If you have any questions about our security services, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.