After collecting all those vacation leaves, finally you can go on that much awaited and very much needed vacation. With all the hype – you know, arranging tickets, packing up, cooking up a food supply – we often forget to prepare for the security of our soon-to-be-lonely house.
I’ve seen it happen again and again. On departure day, everyone’s panicking – hurrying to catch the plane while trying to stuff more t-shirts on the bag, mommy’s struggling to pack everybody a sandwich and all that jazz – these last minute roundabouts is what makes our house susceptible to burglary because we sometimes forget to lock doors, lock windows and turn on our home security systems. However, supposing you didn’t forget to lock locks, does that mean your house is now safe? Not exactly.
Here are 5 home security tips that you should consider aside from locking locks:
1. Stop Treating Strangers Like They’re You’re Best Friend
Ladies, I’m afraid there are some things inherent in our nature that, unfortunately, puts our homes in danger. What’s that? Our “blabbing” nature. We love to share information to other people. A professional burglar revealed that this is one tell that your house is going to be abandoned – a very easy target handed to them on a silver platter.
Ladies, while getting your hairs cut and nails done, don’t blab to attendants about your vacation. Restrain from revealing key details such as the date, how long, where you live. Even while attending your kid’s soccer games, or coffee shops. You never know when there might be an evil ear eavesdropping on your conversation.
2. Make It Look Like You’re At Home Even When You’re Not
Even if you don’t blab about a vacation to a stranger, there are still some ways to know whether a house has been temporarily abandoned such as:
- No lights
- Leaves accumulating in the yard
- Uncollected mail, newspapers, flyers on your door
- A “too quiet” house
These tells that your house is empty. If you have invested in a smart home with remote features and “timed-lights” that would be great because you can schedule them to automatically turn on during the night. Also, ask the post office to hold all your mail for the duration of your vacation. If I’m not mistaken, you can hold mail from 3-30 days. Have someone sweep your house occasionally, maybe you can ask a relative or a good neighbor.
3. Release The Beast!
Dogs are one of the best house bodyguards. Oh, and just to be clear, I am referring to big-ass dogs. Not Chihuahuas, not Shih-Tzus, I mean Bulldogs, German Shepherds, Dobermans – big-ass dogs not cute and cuddly ones! If you have a big-ass dog, then release the beast!
4. Have Someone Keep An Eye On Your House, Alert The Police
Though home security systems are a great asset for our home security, it wouldn’t hurt to get humans on the job as well. Ask a very trusted neighbor to keep a close watch on your house as well. If they see any suspicious cars slowing down and eyeing the house, have them call the police. Speaking of the police, it’d also be good to alert the police that you’ll be on vacation. This way, they can patrol your street often to keep an eye on your house. I just hope that your police ain’t dirty cops.
5. Be A Good Neighbor Yourself, Report!
You get what you give. You can’t expect to have a safe community if you’re not the kind of neighbor who participates. One small way you can contribute is to simply look out for your neighbors as well. Whenever you see suspicious people or cars eyeing their house, report to the cops immediately. If you see burglars trying to break in, alert the authorities. Be a trustworthy neighbor, only then can you receive good favors from your neighbors as well.
As you can see, home security goes beyond locks. Beyond gadgets. If you want to be safe, you have to live a lifestyle that promotes security.
Living by yourself means you must be especially aware of your surroundings and trust your gut. If a person makes you feel uncomfortable or you witness a suspicious situation, don’t hesitate to do some background searching on your fellow neighbors or if it is someone you’ve never seen, a call to the police is quite helpful. You may also want to alert your neighbors and inform your landlord.