Home Safety Tips for Holiday Travel

​The winter holidays are a time for fun gatherings, and for many of us, that means leaving home to visit friends and family. But a home break-in while you’re away can leave a bad taste long after the holiday turkey is gone. We want your holidays to be worry-free, so here are a dozen easy things to do to help make sure your home is secure while you’re away celebrating. Thieves know there are plenty of empty houses during the holidays, so if you can make your home look lived in, they’ll look for easier targets than yours. Here are some tactics that can help create that illusion:

• Put a hold on your mail or ask a neighbor to pick it up for you.
• Park a car in the driveway or ask a neighbor to park in your driveway while you’re away.
• Install timers to turn lights on and off at the times you normally would.
• Leave a hidden radio, set to low volume, and tuned to a talk station. It will sound like someone is talking inside.
• Put motion detectors on outdoor lights.
• Remove the spare key. Experts say thieves are pros at spotting fake plastic rocks and they know to look under mats and above doorsills.
• If you’ll be away for more than a few days, arrange for a lawn service or neighbor kid to cut the grass or shovel snow (depending on your climate) while you’re gone.

In addition to burglary, fire and water damage can also happen when you’re gone. Take these steps to combat all three and protect your home and valuables:

• Unplug televisions and computers to avoid electrical problems.
• Make sure pipes are insulated and set the thermostat high enough to help prevent pipes from freezing.
• Lock jewelry and important documents in a home safe and move other valuables out of sight of the windows.
• Don’t forget to check that all doors and windows are locked before you leave, including the garage doors and doors from the garage into the house.
• If you have an alarm system, post stickers or signs from the security company to deter thieves, and alert the company that you’ll be gone. (If you don’t have an alarm system, consider it. Your homeowner’s insurance may offer a discount for having one.)

If you plan ahead, you should have a great vacation and a safe, happy home when you return. But in case of emergency, leave a key with a friend or neighbor who can reach you if needed. And remember that today’s bad guys are web savvy, so don’t advertise your good times on social media until you’re safely home.