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Tips to Safeguard Your Home

By Sharon Paxson | December 14, 2019

It is the holiday season and you may be going out of town. If you are planning on taking a trip, you need to be sure to secure your home. Thanks to modern technology, there is a plethora of ways that you can do so. Of course, you should not forget about low tech options. Often they are just as effective as more high tech ideas when it comes to securing your home. Here are some easy tips to protect your home and your family.

Invite a House Sitter

One of the best ways to make sure that you have no unwanted visitors to your home is to find a house sitter. This is one of the best options to make sure that your property stays safe. Someone planning a home invasion is less likely to do so in a home where they can see people coming and going. Once a home is vacant, it becomes much easier for a burglar to go about his business.

Tell Your Neighbors

Be sure to notify your neighbors that you will be out of town. Also, if you have a house-sitter, then notify them of that as well. The last thing your neighbors want to see is an unwanted person going in or out of your home. They make suspect it is an unscrupulous person. Additionally, your neighbors can help to keep an eye on your eye when you are gone!

If you reside in an area where you park on the street, and there is street sweeping, you may need to ask your neighbor or friend to relocate your vehicle. If a vehicle is sitting on the street with a ticket on it, it will look like it has been abandoned.

Tips for Keeping Your Home Secure

Notify the Police

Call your local Police Department to notify them that you will be going out of town. Police Departments do vacation checks. They will drive by your house and they will want to know when you are leaving and when you will be returning. It is a good idea, and the Police Departments have volunteers just for this task. And it creates added security if the neighbors and others in the area see a Police Cruiser in the neighborhood.

High Tech Alarm Systems

Not all modern alarm systems cost a fortune. Popular websites such as Amazon make it easy for you to choose a home alarm system that fits in with your personal needs. Many of them come with security cameras that are easy to link to your cell phone using an app. If your home is broken into, the app will alert you to the presence of someone in your home. You can then contact the local police and let them know there is an intruder in your home.

tips to help secure your home

Smart technology is an added investment in your property in addition to offering a sense of security. Ring and Nest offer security cameras, and they are truly amazing. Ring offers a spotlight camera that is motion activated. This will alert you on the app on your smartphone and you can watch if someone is out in front or in the back. All the motion zones can be customized. Additionally, utilize the cameras as a doorbell. They begin recording as soon as someone walks by the doorbell camera. The doorbell will also ring on your phone. So you can be at work 25 miles away, and you can see who is at your door. You can also talk to them through the app. If someone does not look like they belong, you can tell them to get off your property. It is very convenient and offers a sense of security.

Check and Check Again

Before you leave home, make sure that your check all entry points. That does not only include the basement and garage door. Walkthrough your home to make sure that all of the windows are closed and locked, should you have locks on your window. Did you know that window locks are one of the best secure and cost-effective low tech security features to install? There is some very popular smart home technology including smart door locks and smart garage doors, so that way you can check remotely.

What About Your Jewelry?

Not only can burglars cause a great deal of damage. A burglary often leads to the loss of special objects and memories. Most homeowners leave them in the safe while they go away. And did you know that burglar knows to get to the master bedroom because that is where most people store their valuables?

It is an option to have a safe, but be sure it is bolted to the foundation or installed so that someone cannot just pick it up and walk away with it. There are safer options. Contact your local bank and ask them if they have a short term safety deposit box for a temporary rental. Many banks do, and if you have precious items, it is a good idea to take advantage of a safety deposit box during vacation time.

Close The Blinds and Get a Timer

It is more likely a potential burglar will scout the neighborhood at night. Before you leave on your much-needed vacation, make sure you close the drapes or the blinds. There is also one more low-tech security advice you should consider, and one that fools many burglars.

They have been around for ages, but timers that switch on and off certain lights do the job. A burglar may notice that all of the drapes are closed, and with the light going off and on, he will never know if you are in the home or not. Timers take minutes to set up and are an easy option to safeguard your home.

Secure Your Wi-Fi

Be sure to password protect your router, so that not anyone can utilize your Wi-Fi.  Wi-Fi access points and routers can provide hackers with a convenient way to gain access to your personal and financial information. If guests come over and you want to allow them to utilize your Wi-Fi, then set up a guest network. That way they can access the internet without having access to your family's internal network.

Don't Let the Mail Pile Up

If you are still getting mail via a regular postal service, you should ask a friend or neighbor to take it in for you. Yes, burglars do check your mailbox, and if they notice letters piling up, they may just put two and two together. Burglars lookout for all sorts of small indications that you may not be in our home. Leaves on the lawn or the driveway will give them an indication the home is vacant.

It would be a shame to have all of the hard work you have done on your home damaged. Home insurance claims can take time and are stressful. It is better to safeguard your home. The best way to secure your home is by making the most out of both low tech and high tech solutions.

Final Thoughts

Most of the tips above are common sense, and it is important to utilize it to protect your home and your family. The defense for protecting your home is the new offense. Simple things such as locking the doors, make sure packages are picked up at the front door and not letting the mail pile up, will help to dissuade crime. If you are selling your home, then be sure to adhere to these tips. Homes for sale are already being presented online with photos of the interior! 

Remember it is important to SAY SOMETHING if you SEE SOMETHING! Call the Police if there is someone who does not appear to belong.

SoCal native and longtime Newport Beach resident Sharon Paxson has been delivering full-spectrum residential real estate sales and marketing services to her valued clients since 2005. Known for her success in representing buyers and sellers in the sought-after cities of Newport Beach and all of Orange County CA. Sharon utilizes the leverage of social media to provide maximum exposure for her listings. Visit her site at https://newportbeachrealestatecafe.com
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