We all deserve a getaway trip. Going somewhere very far to forget about the office’s problems, get away from some people, and have some alone time.

It’s something most of us look forward to at least once a year.

Although going out-of-town to de-stress is always exciting, this also means making your home vulnerable. This sometimes leads to us getting worried and not enjoying our trip. And this shouldn’t be the case.

In this article, we’re sharing eight smart tips you can do to secure your home before your next trip:

1. Lock the doors and windows

This is very basic and should be common sense. However, there are times that people do need to be reminded to do this.

You know how when you’re excited, and you want to leave immediately, and you forget. And I’m pretty sure it happens to a lot of us.

So, no matter how excited you are, always double-check all doors and windows before you bolt to your car. If you need to check thrice, why not?

Don’t forget to check the back door, side doors, and windows that you rarely use. Just because you overlook these, it doesn’t mean thieves will. So, make sure everything’s locked, including the garage.

2. Hold your mails and delivery

The next thing you should do is hold any upcoming mails and delivery. If you don’t do this, the piling mails on your mailbox and the parcel in front of your door are the most significant indicators that you’re not home.

This will make anyone with bad intentions interested to rob your home.

If you can’t hold your mails or deliveries, you can ask help from your Neighbor or family member to clear the mailbox and pick up the deliveries for you. This way, nothing stays on your porch that will give anyone a hint that you’re not home.

3. Install a home security system

Another great tip, and also an obvious one, is to install a home security system, the primary line of defense against any form of burglary.

You can try out different types from CCTV cameras, sensors, security lights, a video doorbell, etc.

Having these installed will give you a sense of confidence that whatever happens, your home is safe. But as a reminder, you should ensure that all your security systems work and continue working until you get home.

These security systems are great, but it would also help to have a home monitoring service. Now, how different is a home monitoring system from a regular CCTV?

Well, a home monitoring service includes door and window sensors that will send a signal to the alarm company when triggered. This alarm company will then send authorities to check your home.

It’s perfect for people who can’t do self-monitoring and have unreliable data when traveling. Also, since you want to have fun on your trip, you wouldn’t want to check your phone all the time to see if someone has broken in, right?

4. Make it look occupied

No one would want to rob an occupied home. So, why not make your home appear occupied while you’re away?

You can set up some timer lights that you can schedule to turn on during the night and off during the day. You can also schedule your radio or television sets to turn on at a specific time of the day.

Another thing you can do is ask your neighbor to throw your trash out on trash day. You can also ask someone to clean your overgrown lawn to make it appear that you’re still doing your everyday routine.

This way, no one would be able to suspect a thing.

5. Remove spare keys

Although this is another common sense, you should make sure not to leave spare keys when you’re out for a vacation.

I know you might think that you’re smart and witty that a burglar won’t figure it out, but they always know where to look. And even if they don’t, when there’s no one home, they have all the time they need to find that spare key all over the exterior of your house.

They might even visit every day to find it. So, don’t ever allow them to rob your house.

6. Close your curtains

Closed curtains will not allow burglars to peek and see if your house is occupied or not. This will make them think twice about going in.

However, most people don’t like closing their curtains. That’s because this will prevent police, neighbors, and other people with good intentions from seeing what’s going on inside. At the same time, because closed curtains are also an indicator that no one is indeed home.

So, if you’re in doubt about closing your curtains, what you can do is leave it slightly open, or in a position where you usually leave it. But, you need to make sure that you put away any essential belongings out of sight.

7. Inform a trusted neighbor

When you’re going away, the most significant advice most people would tell you is not to announce this to many people. But, you can inform one Trusted Neighbor.

This trusted neighbor will be the person you can ask to watch your house, clear up your mails, take out your trash (if you haven’t yet), and clear your lawn. You also need to trust them so much that you can leave your spare key and your vacation home address to them.

If you don’t have a neighbor you can trust, a great alternative would be reaching out to a friend or family member to check your home frequently.

8. Unplug all the electronics

Last but not least, unplug all electronics. This includes your television, computer, toaster, oven, and other appliances that seep electricity.

This way, you prevent them from overheating and prevent your home from possible short circuits that may cause a fire.

By keeping your home safe and secure, you also allow yourself to stay calm and at peace while you’re on vacation. The last thing you want is to find your house robbed after you got home from a great trip, and you can prevent that with these eight smart tips.