10 Tips to Stop Vacation Burglars
February 23, 2008 by Mary Jo Manzanares
Filed under Travel Tips
Business and pleasure travelers have have some travel concerns and preparations in common, and one of those is having to worry about what’s happening at home while we’re on the road.
If you have family or friends staying in your home while you’re traveling, it reduces a lot of concerns. But if your home will remain empty, make sure that you aren’t sending a signal to potential burglars to come on in and help themselves.
Here are ten tips to help keep the burglars away while you are:
- Let neighbors know that you will be away. Neighbors are generally the first to notice what could be suspicious behavior, and this is one time that a nosy neighbor will be welcome. (If you live in an apartment or other managed building, advise the property manager and doormen. They can help prevent any unauthorized access to your unit.) Ask neighbors for help in picking up those annoying unsolicited flyers left on doorsteps.
- Try to get a friend or family member to stop by on an erratic schedule to check on the house. An occasional car in the drive way, changing of light patterns, etc., can help make the house look occupied. This is also an additional help in picking up unsolicited flyers.
- Make sure that you don’t have a key “hidden” by the door. Under the mat, above the door frame, or in the flower pots are not clever hiding places. Give a key to anyone who needs to have it.
- Have a car parked in the driveway, in front on the house, or in your assigned parking place if at all possible. It will help to make it look like someone is home.
- Stop the newspaper and mail service. You don’t need this piling up. Stopping the mail can be done online, and stopping newspaper service varies according the location.
- Keep up regularly scheduled appointment such as gardening, lawn care, and housekeeping services. An untended lawn or garden can signal an absent owner. Keep as many consistencies to your normal scheduled as possible. Ask workers to help pick up unsolicited flyers left on your doorstep.
- Set indoor lights on automatic timers, preferably with a random schedule. Vary the specific lights and times that they will come on.
- Turn off the phone ringer, and turn down the volume on the answering machine. This is especially important in apartment building, where a constantly ringing phone can signal an empty apartment.
- Do not leave an answering machine or voice mail message saying that your are traveling or gone. Don’t leave an out-of-office message on your office phone, unless required to do so by your employer. Don’t let the “I’m on vacation” message get out to anyone who doesn’t need to have it. You control the information.
- Make sure you have appropriate insurance. No one wants to think about being the victim of a burglary, but being prepared in still an important option.
How about you? Do you have other things that you do so it looks like you’re home — even when you’re not?
Photo credit: SXC
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Great tips! I’m always paranoid before I leave on trips, even with our alarm system armed and ready.
But I’ve also heard that stopping your newspaper and mail service is not a good idea, as sometimes ‘insiders’ at these institutions tip off burglars. Is this true – or paranoia?
Have you covered the same issue when you are out of your hotel room? A number of my co-workers have been the victims of hotel room theft, not necessarily from the staff themselves but from doors being left open (latches placed outside the door) while cleaning.
I always stop my paper and mail, and have never worried about insiders tipping someone off. You have to weigh the risk of not stopping vs. stopping and decide which choice gives you the best protection.
No option is perfect, but this is the choice I make.
I’d welcome some tips for readers in other parts of the world… unfortunately most of these tips wouldn’t work in France. Insurance companies demand that you close your outside shutters if you leave your home for more than 24 hours (all houses have them). What better way to let thieves know you’re gone than to close your shutters?? It’s like announcing it to the world. Granted, the shutters are meant to be dissuasive and prevent entry, but they don’t… So if you come across any tips for those of us forced to announce our absence, I’d love to hear them!
Oooh, good idea for a future post — hotel safety. I’ve got that on my list now.
This is something I used to worry about a lot. Through examining that worry and talking to others about their points of view, it’s no longer something that bothers me. We are sufficiently insured. All of our photographs and important documents are backed up online. Everything else is just stuff.
Yeah, Jul, if you over think it, you’d never leave the house, so I love your attitude.
You just have to take practical steps to keep yourself as safe as you can, and they go for it! Experiences are generally much more valuable than stuff.
I found this great product that makes it look like you are home. It is called faketv, and it is a light that flickers and is meant to look like someone is home watching tv. It is only $49.95 and it really works! It even has a light sensor so if you are gone for several days it will turn itself on at night. It just plugs right into any electrical outlet so no need for batteries. I just think it is a great alternative to leaving your tv on and not only wasting so much energy, but over time the color in your tv will fade. Check this out: http://cgi.ebay.com/Fake-TV-Burlgar-Deterrent-Home-Security-Device_W0QQitemZ360042212364QQihZ023QQcategoryZ41969QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Thanks for the suggestion, Wendy!
There are two sites that sell burglar deterrent CD, http://www.deterrentsounds.com, http://www.AudioGuard.com.
can be useful in addition to fake TV.
Even a simple web cam can do a good job on recording a burglar, not to mention more expensive security systems. I use web cab that can detect motion. It’s amazing how burglars strike whenever they see an opportunity. Now, when the vacation time is coming I took an extra step to make my home, and not only car secure. I have purchased a CD with burglar deterrent sounds, which I play every day in my apartment when I leave it for work. And I will play it non stop when I go on vacation. The sound quality is OK, nothing spectacular, but since you are listening to it through the closed door, it works great. Web site is: http://www.DeterrentSounds.com. Another good site is http://www.audioguard.com.