Ways to Increase Your Home Security While Traveling is something that people should look forward to. While leaving the area does come with a long list of pros, it does bring some cons as well. One of the biggest cons to traveling isn’t the financial aspect or even the planning aspect, but rather the home security one.

Unless you live with roommates or family who plan to stay home, you’re leaving your spot vulnerable to all sorts of dangers.

Before you embark on your journey, take a few precautions to make sure your home is safe and secure. The last thing you want to experience when away from home is anxiety that your house is unprotected.

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7 Ways to Increase Your Home Security While Traveling

Here’s what the experts recommend…

Hire a House Sitter 

One thing that many people do before they travel is hire someone to come and watch over their house while they are away. While this is especially common for pet owners, just about anybody can benefit from hiring a house sitter. Depending on your home’s needs and the duration of your time away, you can have the sitter stay the night or pop over during the day to check on everything.

Having a house sitter is especially beneficial for people who have pets or a house that requires some extra maintenance, like watering plants or gardens. They’re also helpful for tasks like bringing in the mail or taking out the trash.

Have a Friend Stop Over Periodically

If you can’t hire a housesitter, ask someone who is close to you and who lives in your area to stop over a few times over the course of your trip. Give them a spare key and have them go through the house to make sure everything is looking good.

Some things to have them look out for include the heating or air conditioning, plumbing, or anything that shouldn’t be on or plugged in. If something were to happen to your house, this person can alert you so that you can take care of the issue before you return home. 

Alert Neighbors

Don’t want to hire a house sitter but would like some eyes on your home? Give your neighbors a heads up that you won’t be home and ask them to keep a lookout for anything that might raise a red flag.

Having an extra set of eyes on your home is a great way to have some peace of mind during your travels. Some neighborhoods have a neighborhood watch, where members of the community work with law enforcement to keep each other’s houses safe. Inquire about joining yours if one is available. 

Install a Security System 

Home security systems come in all different forms and levels of protection. If you’re someone who travels often, a good security system is going to offer you ample peace of mind for whenever you are away.

On one side of the spectrum, you have unmonitored security systems which will sound an alarm whenever there is a potential intruder. These are more simple and hands off.

Monitored security systems, on the other hand, use tools like sensors and cameras to alert you or authorities if something is wrong. Further, if you’re selling your home, a security system may increase home value.

Make Sure Your Home is Well Maintained 

If your home is older or requires maintenance, take care of any issues prior to your departure. This is especially true if you’re planning to buy and sell a house at the same time. Things like electric, plumbing, and HVAC could cause havoc to your home if they’re not set up for success. 

Complete a maintenance checklist to complete before you leave. That way, when you’re gone, you don’t have to worry if something is going to crack, break, or malfunction.

Set Timers for Your Lights

Whenever you leave your home for an extended period of time, you run the risk of unwanted visitors making a stop. Burglars are going to be less likely to break into a home if they think people are there. One simple trick to help make it seem like your home is occupied is to set timers for your lights.

People will usually have their lights turn on at dusk and then shut off later in the night, like 11. If you want to be extra cautious, you can set the lights in different rooms to turn on and off at different times. This will make any would-be intruder think twice about breaking and entering.

Do a Sweep of Locks, Alarms, and Detectors

During the week leading to your trip, do a run through of your home. Check to make sure everything that should be unplugged is unplugged, that fire alarms and detectors are functioning, that your security system is armed, and that everything else is set.

Right before you leave, do a quick sweep to lock doors and windows and turn off lights/electronics/etc! Unplugging electronics, like computers and televisions, will help prevent fires and other issues.

The Bottom Line

Don’t stress about your home’s safety when you’re away. Nowadays, there are plenty of ways for you to protect your home. Technology gives us the upper hand in terms of home security systems that will protect your house while you’re gone. Installing one prior to your vacation will help keep intruders away.

Further, in terms of keeping your home safe from burglars, we recommend using your friends, family, and neighbors to Increase Your Home Security While Traveling. 

Burglars aren’t the only thing that you should be worrying about when you’re away. Things like fires, floods, frozen pipes, and carbon monoxide could wreak havoc on your home.

Mitigate these issues by checking on detectors and keeping up on necessary maintenance. Hiring a house sitter is also helpful for preventing any potential problems that can arise.

When on vacation, don’t worry about your home’s safety. Follow some of the steps above to Increase Your Home Security While Traveling and enjoy your time away!