7 Best Ways of Safeguarding Your Home While Away This Summer

What if your house was robbed when you least expected it? 

Between your usual security precautions and good homeowner’s insurance, your house is probably pretty safe while you are there. However, the warm weather of summer often calls us to take family vacations and make unforgettable memories. Once you leave your house unattended for a few days or more, it becomes much more vulnerable to thieves eager to steal everything they can. 

Want to make sure your home is safe, even when you are many miles away? That’s where we come in. Keep reading to discover the best ways to protect your house during family trips this summer! 

1. Put Interior Lights on Timers 

Before you install an entire home security system (although those do provide great peace of mind), you should know that most would-be thieves can be deterred by a little extra precaution on your part. For example, the average thief goes out of their way to attack empty houses, so you can keep most thieves away by simply making it look like somebody is still there. 

Installing timers for interior lights is the easiest way to achieve summer vacation home safety. You can set them to turn on and off around the times you would normally be getting up and going to bed. This may be enough to fool even your neighbors into thinking you are at the house, and it should do a good job of tricking any robbers and protecting your valuable items. 

2. Double-check Every Possible Lock Before You Leave 

We don’t doubt that you always lock the doors of your home before going to work and especially before going on a vacation. However, safeguarding your house while you’re away means you need to start thinking like a thief and locking down everything that might make your home vulnerable while you’re away. 

For example, you need to lock things like pet doors and even mail slots that might allow someone to access the house — all it takes is someone with the right tool and a long arm to unlock the door and rob you blind. Finally, if your garage has an automatic door, we recommend disabling the opener and padlocking the garage. You might be surprised how easy it is for a robber to spoof the right signal and gain instant access to a garage full of valuables. 

3. Avoid Posting about the Trip on Social Media (at Least Until You’re Back) 

Here’s a simple tip that most people forget: no matter how exciting your trip is, you need to avoid posting about it on social media until you get back. And we can sum up the reason why in two words: “privacy settings.” 

It’s very easy for thieves to use social media to discover who is on vacation (and, therefore, who has an empty house to rob). Even if you think your privacy settings are locked down, one small slip-up means your hilarious vacay photo is advertising to the world that it would be easy to rob your house. But as long as you wait to post until you get back, you can keep your home that much safer. 

4. Ask Neighbors to Keep an Eye on Your Home 

Let’s be honest: chances are that you already have some neighbors who keep a close eye on your comings and goings. This can be annoying in your day-to-day life, but such neighbors can be real lifesavers when you’re on vacation. 

As long as you trust them well enough, simply ask one or more of your neighbors to keep an eye on your house while you’re away and give them your number to call or text you with updates. This can provide peace of mind and might even bring you a bit closer to your neighbors. 

5. Have Your Mail Held While You’re Away 

As we said before, most robbers target houses that are very obviously empty. And if you want to make sure your own home isn’t a noticeable mark for thieves, it’s important that you contact the Post Office and have your mail held while you’re away. 

In short, nothing screams “empty house” louder than an overflowing mailbox and packages piling up by your door. By holding your mail while you’re on vacation, you can more easily give the appearance that everyone is at home. 

6. Keep a Vehicle Parked in the Driveway 

Speaking of giving the appearance that everyone is at home, we highly recommend keeping one of the family cars in the driveway. Even if you normally keep that vehicle in the garage for safety, keeping it in the driveway will make it look like someone is at the house. 

Obviously, a robber who cases your house for days might notice that the car isn’t going anywhere. But if you combine this tip with the earlier tip about putting lights on timers, it may appear that, like an increasing number of workers, you are simply working from home. 

7. Install Alarms (Or at Least, Put Up Alarm Signs) 

Most of our tips for protecting your property on vacations have focused on preventing thieves from even noticing you are gone. However, for maximum home security during travel, we recommend installing an actual home security system that will sound an alarm if someone breaks in, allowing you to contact the police. 

If you don’t have enough time (or enough spare cash) to install a major alarm system before vacation, consider simply buying and installing signs saying that your home is protected by a professional alarm system. The signs will deter most thieves, and they’ll move on to another home they think is less protected. 

Summer Vacation Home Safety: Getting the Right Home Insurance 

Now you know the best ways to protect your home during family trips this summer. But do you know who can help keep your home safe throughout the year? 

Here at InsureOne, we aren’t just experts on premium home insurance. We’re also experts at keeping you and your family safe, whether you’re on the road or just on the couch. To discover our rates and how we can help you protect your home, get a quote online. Alternatively, you can call us at 800-836-2240. Finally, feel free to come to one of our convenient nearby offices!