1. Don’t Broadcast Your Absence. We know you’re ecstatic about your long-awaited vacation, but try to contain your excitement! Don’t tell anyone you’re leaving except immediate family, very close friends, and your neighbour who you’ve asked to watch your house. As temping as it is, do not publicize your vacation on Facebook and Twitter with “Mexico in 3 days!
2. Use Timers. Put your TV, radio, and lights on timers to simulate occupancy. Set the TV to come on during prime time, have the radio come on for an hour or two during the day, and lights to turn on and off at appropriate times during the evening. Timers are fairly inexpensive and will provide added security.
3. Turn Down the Volume on Your Phones. Burglars who roam the streets listen for loud rings that are not picked up, this is a sure sign no one’s home. Turn down the volume of your phones, or better yet, adjust the volume setting to silent.
4. Stop Delivery of Mail and Newspapers. Suspend your mail and newspaper delivery or have someone collect it for you. Having a huge pile of newspapers on your front steps is one of the easiest ways for criminals to determine who’s away in the neighbourhood. Canada Post has a "Hold Mail" service that can do this for you, details are available at canadapost.ca/hold
5. Ask a Neighbour to Park in Your Driveway. Having someone house sit while you’re away on vacation may be one of the most effective ways to prevent break-ins. However, if you’re unable to find someone, try asking your neighbour to park in your driveway, occasionally moving his/her car to indicate coming and going.
Remember to utilize these tips the next time you're on vacation (which is hopefully soon!). If you have any tips or tricks of your own, we'd love to hear them! Send us an email!
