5 Tips for Keeping Your Home Safe While on Vacation

Greater San Antonio Real Estate Video Blog with Spencer Hasch

If you want to ensure that your home stays safe and sound while you’re away during your holiday vacation, take these five precautions before you leave.

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While you’re relaxing on a tropical beach or strolling through a quaint European resort during your holiday vacation, thieves could be planning on invading your unoccupied home and ruining more than just the vacation. The good news is that there are five easy steps you can take to make sure that you don’t come back to an empty house:
1. Get a Wi-Fi doorbell. Products like the SkyBell actually videotape any visitors that come to your front door and sync that video to your smartphone so you can keep a watchful eye. Not only are these devices cheap, but they are also easy to install. I would recommend buying one for your home at all times—not just during vacations.
2. Utilize exterior lighting. A well-lit property is less likely to be an attractive target for potential intruders. Motion-activated lights that pop on whenever they detect movement are an excellent deterrent. A watchful spotlight will send any unwanted visitors scurrying.
3. Let your (trusted) neighbors know that you’ll be gone. If those that live closest to you know that you’re away, they’ll likely monitor your home for any strange noises or unfamiliar faces skulking about and alert the police is they see any suspicious activity.

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Check once, check twice, and after that, check one more time.

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4. Alter your mail and newspaper delivery service. You can either call your mail service provider and temporarily suspend your deliveries or ask one of your neighbors to pick them up for you as they arrive. An overflowing mailbox and a pile of newspapers are sure signs that no one is home.
5. Double-check that all doors and windows are locked before you leave. Statistics show that roughly 33% of all home invasions happen through an unforced entry, meaning they likely occur through an unlocked door or window. A good rule of thumb is to check once, check twice, and check one more time before you and your family depart. If you have kids, this step is especially important.
Following these steps will help you rest easier while you’re away and ensure that everything is safe and sound when you come back. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email. I’d be happy to help!