Travel Preparations: Preparing Your Home for Your Trip

By Michele Blandino

Getting ready to go on vacation is a fairly big job. There are suitcases to pack, a travel itinerary to plan, and countless other tasks to complete before departure day. With everything that needs to be done to make the trip away from home goes smoothly, it’s easy to overlook taking some precautions to safeguard your home while you are away.

We know the basic things that should be done: locking all the windows and doors and activating the security system (if you have one) are the two things most of us will do as we head out the door for our vacation. Unfortunately, this often isn’t enough.

Savvy burglars will study homeowner activity patterns for days or even weeks before striking, so it is important that when you leave your home, you make it appear as much as possible that you are not away. Here are some ways you can accomplish this:

• Mail and Newspapers - Many people will stop the delivery of their mail and newspapers for the duration of their trip. While you certainly do not want to have mail and newspapers piling up while you are away, it is better to ask a neighbor to collect these items each day rather than having the actual delivery stopped. Think about it: how well do you know your newspaper and mail carriers? Can you be sure they aren’t associated with someone who might be interested to know that you are away from home?
• Garbage Day - If you will be away on garbage pick up day, ask a neighbor to bring your trash to the curb; in addition to preventing an excess accumulation, it will add to the appearance that you are home.
• Light Timers - Many people use light timers to give the appearance they are home. This is a good idea but care should be taken to use the timer in rooms where you normally spend time. For example, if you spend your evenings in the family room, use the timer in that room, not the living room. Better yet, use multiple timers and stagger their activation – for example, set the timer in the family room to have the lights on between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm and another timer in a bedroom to be on between 9:30 – 11:00 pm. The important thing to remember when using light timers is that the pattern you set should closely match your actual habits; for instance, if you usually turn in at 11:00 p.m., then that’s when the timer should turn off the lights each night.
• Keep a Vehicle Visible - If one of your vehicles will be staying behind, consider leaving it in the driveway rather than in the garage. Even better, ask a neighbor to move the vehicle every day – from one side of the driveway to the other, from the driveway to the street, etc. – so that it seem as though the vehicle is being used (and removing the appearance that you are away). If you do not have a vehicle to leave behind, ask a neighbor to park theirs in your driveway while you are away.
• Make Some Noise - Consider leaving a stereo receiver or radio on while you are away. The noise it emits may just be enough to deter a burglar from entering your home. There are even timers available which will turn your radio off and on during the course of your absence.
• Tend to the Yard - Cut your grass before you leave. If necessary, ask a neighbor to cut your grass while you are away (you can always return the favor when they go on vacation) so that you are not betrayed by an overgrown lawn.
• Don’t Change Appearances - Keep your blinds and drapes in their “normal” positions. Significant alterations to your regular habits will serve as an easy clue to a burglar sizing up your home.

Finally, consider leaving a telephone number where you can be reached while you are away with a friend or neighbor. Hopefully, it won’t be needed.