Vacation Safety Tips

August is one of the most popular vacation months of the year. If you are planning a trip you should start thinking about keeping your home safe while you’re away. A home security system is always the best defense against intruders, but there are other steps you can take to help protect your home while you’ll be gone.

• Don’t advertize your trip on social media. This is an obvious one, but many do it.
• Keep a car in the driveway. You want it to look like someone is home.
• Leave some lights on. If possible, have timers set so that lights alternate.
• Turn your alarm on “away”. This activates all motion detectors so that movements (except for pets, if you have pet-immune sensors), set off the alarm.
• Have someone you know collect your newspaper and mail while you’re away. An overflowing mailbox and newspapers piled in the driveway is a surefire sign to burglars that you aren’t home.
• Cut your lawn before you go. Unmowed grass can make it obvious no one is there.
• Let your neighbors know when and for how long you will be away, and make sure they have a way to contact you in case of an emergency.

Preparing your home for your absence can seem nerve wracking, but if you follow these steps you can be confident it will be exactly as you left it when you return.

Rob Berman is the owner of Berman Home Systems, a provider of home theater, audio and security systems based in Verona. This post originally appeared on his blog.