Ten vacation safety tips – prepare your home before you leave

Last Updated on August 30, 2020 by Ellen Christian

Vacation Safety Tips

One of the businesses I have in the not-online world, is a pet sitting business.   When people in the area go on vacation and don’t want to board their pets, I visit their home and take care of their pets while they’re gone.  After several years of visiting people’s homes when they are not there, I’ve come up with a list of vacation safety tips that I recommend you follow while you’re on vacation.   Many of these vacation safety tips are things that I’ve noticed while they’re away that are sure fire tips to thieves.

1.  Arrange to have different lights turned on and off in different areas of your home.  Nothing says no-one is home like the exact same light left burning 24/7 for a week. There are timers you can purchase that will do this if you don’t have a friend or neighbor who can stop by.

2.   Stop the mail and the newspaper or have someone pick it up for you. I recommend having someone pick it up daily because they can check for boxes left by the UPS or Federal Express guy at the same time.

3.  Double check all of the locks.  This includes those on the windows, garden shed, garage and the basement doors.  Many people have valuable tools that are stored in the garden shed.

4.   If you’ll be gone for several weeks, arrange to have your lawn mowed or your driveway shoveled or plowed.  These are sure signs of a house that has been empty for a while.

5.  Don’t leave a key under the mat or a flower pot if you’re having a friend stop by to take care of things for you. This is the first place a thief will look.  Drop the key off at their house instead.

6.  Consider a pet sitter or house sitter. I regularly feed, water, walk, and play with pets as well as water gardens and plants, pick up the mail and newspapers and turn lights on and off. It’s a great way to give your house a lived in look.

7.  If you’re setting the garbage out the morning or evening  before you leave, have someone stop by the next day to haul the empty cans back to the garage.  Empty garbage cans sitting near the road for several days can tip off thieves there is no one home.

8.  Don’t share your vacation plans on places like Facebook. Yes, it’s the easiest way to let all your friends know you won’t be home but you also let everyone else know. That includes things like checking in via Foursquare or other location sharing app.  A bunch of check ins in another state is a great clue that you are not at your home.  Today’s technology has made communication even easier but it has also opened the door to things like identity theft. Identity Guard offers identity theft protection by monitoring your information for certain kinds of activity.   Get Identity Guard and all the information you need to know about identity theft and how to help yourself stay safe from it

9.  Ask a neighbor to park their care in your driveway.  Seeing no care in your driveway at any time of the day can tip off robbers there is no one home.

10.  Put away things like bicycles or outdoor grills that may attract someone to investigate what else is available for the taking.

A vacation should be a time to relax and enjoy yourself. If you prepare your home and follow these vacation safety tips before you leave for vacation, you’ll be able to have a worry-free vacation. Do you have any vacation safety tips I’ve forgotten?

This service was provided to me for review at no charge. In addition I received monetary compensation. All opinions are my own