Summer has already arrived and many of us hardly wait to go on vacation. It is only natural to be so after a year of work. You need to relax and enjoy sunny beaches or mountain retreats. However, vacationing away means to leave your home unattended. Your home will be vulnerable to burglary and other theft related crimes.
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Therefore, to protect your home you need to know what burglars are looking for and how to avoid common and usually mistakes when you leave your home unsupervised.
First, you need to know that most thieves want to act quickly and secure for them. A house to be attacked should meet four essential conditions, such as:
- – It must be unoccupied;
- – It should have an easy access;
- – It should have low visibility;
and the most important factor
- – It should contain something of value that worth to be stolen.
Therefore, if your home meets these conditions, it will be an easy target for burglars.
Let’s see together several tips to protect your home and your belongings while you are away on vacation.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
1| Give the impression that your home is occupied. Use timers for both light and for TV or Radio.
2| You need to change light patterns when you are away, otherwise the same light on and off at the same time could be a clue to burglars that you are gone.
3| Leave some curtains and blinds wide open otherwise if all the blinds and curtains are closed can be also a hint to burglars that you are not at home.
4| Lower the volume of your phone ringer and your answering machine. They should not be heard outside.
5| Keep all the gates and doors locked. Make sure that the door between the house and the garage is locked.
6| Install motion lights in vulnerable and darker areas to ensure to ensure that all the exterior of your home is properly lit.
7| Ask a neighbour or a friend to check your home from time to time. He could also open some blinds and close others. In this way he will create the appearance of an inhabited home.
8| It is a good idea to participate in an organized community watch program.
WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT DO
1| You should avoid letting a message on your answering machine in which it is specified that you are not home.
2| Do not let your mail or newspapers to pile up. Ask a neighbour or a friend to pickup them daily while you are not a home.
3| Do not let your garbage bin and recyclable cans out on the curb.
4| Do not leave a spare key hidden somewhere outside under a window sill or a flower pot. It is perhaps the most famous mistake.
5| Do not leave valuable stuff to be seen outside.
6| Do not leave ladders or tools visible outside which can be easily used to gain access into your home.
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