Securing Your Home While on Vacation

Vacation should be relaxing, but an obviously empty home is exactly what burglars look for. The goal is simple: make your house look lived-in and harder to enter while you're gone.

Create the Illusion of Presence

• Use light timers on varied schedules.
• Hold your mail and packages or have a neighbor collect them.
• Keep one car in the driveway if possible.

Lock It Down

Double-check every door and window, including the garage. Unplug non-essential electronics, and don't leave spare keys outside. If you have an alarm, set it and confirm monitoring is active.

Stay Discreet

Resist posting vacation photos in real time, broadcasting an empty home to the world is an open invitation. Share the trip after you return, and tell only trusted neighbors you'll be away.

For more, see burglary prevention and how to handle package theft while traveling.