Do’s and Don’ts of Preventing a Home Robbery while on Vacation

We all love enjoying a nice relaxing vacation with our friends or family, whether it is just a weekend retreat or a month-long adventure. However, vacations can sometimes be stressful—what if your pets start to miss you? Will everything at work go smoothly without you? What if your home gets robbed? We're not sure about the first two, but we've got that last one covered. Here are some tips to prevent a home robbery and set your mind at ease so that you can focus on enjoying yourself. DO let your neighbors know you will be gone and when to expect you to be back. DON’T post about your vacation on social media until you return from your trip. You cannot control who might see that information and this is a perfect way for potential thieves to know exactly when to stop by. DO ask the post office to hold your packages if you are gone for more than 2-3 days. DON’T allow packages to pile up on your doorstep or let the garbage cans sit out on the street while you are on vacation. It is a clear sign that nobody is home. DO schedule your front lights to be on at specified times (if you can). Set them to be on shortly after sunset, until the time you would typically go to bed. It is a good idea to leave the porch lights on all night. DON’T leave your blinds, shutters, or drapes open. Close them so that nobody can see you aren’t home, or what valuables you have that might be in sight. Also, don’t forget to close and lock your windows, too. DO set your thermostat to be a little warmer (in the summer) or a little cooler (in the winter) than is comfortable. That’s usually about a 4-5 degree difference from the temperature you would normally have it set at. DON’T leave your thermostat at its regular comfortable ‘at home’ temperature so that your AC or heater are working excessively hard while you are away, racking up a nice electric bill for your return.