Securing the items you’ll bring for vacation is essential, but before you leave, you must make sure that your home is also secure. Your home or apartment will be a tempting target for burglars when they notice that the place is empty and void of activity in a couple of days. You don’t want to go back home from a long vacation and find your door ajar, and your valuables are gone.
While you travel and see the world, you should take smart steps to keep your home safe and sound. Take precautionary measures for your home while you are on a long trip.
Tips on how to keep your home safe while you’re away for vacation
Noticeable changes in your home will tempt criminals to break into your home. Though you can ask your friend or neighbors to watch out for your house while you are away, it is still not enough. They can’t be there 24/7. Thus, you should also take some preventive measures, which help you secure your home better.
Below are the steps that will help you keep your home safe from burglars while you are away:
1. Install a Home Monitoring System
A home monitoring system is truly essential for adding security features to your home. It lets you view the real-time happenings inside your home through your mobile phone. With this device, you can monitor all the activities even if you are away.
2. Install a Sensor Light
Motion detector lights allow you to set a timer and control them whether you’re home or not. You need to keep up the illusion that someone is home by turning on and off the light at a particular time of the day.
3. Hide Your Valuables
Hide and lock all your valuables and personal identification that you’ll leave behind in a safe. Expensive items are dangerously alluring to the thieves, and they even steal your identity through your credit cards and ATMs.
4. Leave the Car in the Driveway
An empty driveway is a tip-off from burglars that no one’s home. Before leaving, tell your friends and neighbors that they can use your driveway for their extra cars.
5. Hold Your Mail and Newspapers
Prevent your mail and newspapers from piling up in your driveway and mailboxes. It ignites an idea to the burglars that this particular homeowner is out of town. Request a temporary mail hold and contact your newspaper service to stop the deliveries, or ask a friend or neighbors to come and pick up your mails and newspapers for the meantime.
Choose the right locks for your home or properties.
Locks are the first line of defense before your house alarm goes off, so make sure that your locks at home must be convenient, reliable, and have every access point in your home to eliminate any point of vulnerability.
Listed below are the common types of locks and their function:
1. Deadbolt locks
Deadbolts are commonly used in residential homes for being more secure than the standard spring lock, and for their reliability. Deadbolts come in two types; single cylinders and double cylinders. A single-cylinder requires one key, which is used on the outside, and a knob to unlock the door from the inside. A double cylinder always requires a key to unlock the door from the inside and outside. It is pretty dangerous during fire incidents because you must first have the key to open the door from the inside.
2. Combination Padlocks
Unlocking the door requires a sequence of numbers, symbols, or letters. Combination locks come in three forms; single dial, multiple dials, and electronic. Single-dial only uses a single combination attached to a rod or spindle. This is usually used for padlocks, school lockers, and safes.
Multiple safes use a handful of dials. For the internal disc to line up correctly, it has to be set manually. Though there are many uses for multiple dial combinations, but the most common are bike locks, luggage, and briefcases. Electronic combination locks use a keypad which you use to enter numbers, letters, or symbols. This is usually found on safes, lockers, and other secure containers.
3. Knob locks
Knob locks are often installed in a residential home on exterior doors in addition to deadbolts and sometimes used as the primary source of security for doors. Knoblock should never be used for security on external doors for this can be easily broken with a hammer, pliers, or a wrenched behind the knob. If your door currently has knob locks, consider replacing them.
4. Jimmy Proof Deadbolts
It is often found in apartments and on double doors, and it is effortless to install. It has a unique toggle that allows you to lock the deadbolt that even a key cannot disengage the lock from the outside, which will prevent burglars from gaining entry by simply prying apart the door frame with a crowbar.
5. Smart locks
It is a new lock technology, instead of the thumb turn side of the lock, you can use an app on the phone that you can remotely operate. The good thing about smart locks is that it can be installed in your existing locks.
6. Cam Locks
It is a fastener type that is usually found in filing cabinets, mailboxes, and other low-level security appliances constructions. It is made of a cylinder base in which the key is inserted and a metal piece known as cam, acts as a latch. It is usually cheap and even the more advanced types typically cost around $20.
7. Rim Latch Locks
This is a surface-mount lock that are installed on doors that are too narrow to take an internal lock mechanism. It is unique that they can be designed to auto-lock when the door shuts. These types of locks are not designed to withstand a significant amount of force but can be paired with other locks when used.
Key Takeaways
Before you leave on vacation, you must plan your home safe measures and leave it in better security. No more worries about break-ins; with a smart security system plus better locks, you can enjoy and relax while away. Not only does it let homeowners monitor real-time happenings, it also lets you control the lights and smart locks while you are miles away. Do not get too complacent about your locks at home. Upgrade your home security with more reliable and durable features to safeguard your properties and possessions everywhere you go. Install a smart home lock today!