It’s great fun to plan weekend trips and even better when you get there. However, it’s not so good if you’re going to spend the time worrying about leaving your home behind and how safe it’s going to be. But with these five simple ideas, you can bolster your home’s security and make it look occupied even when you aren’t there, deterring any potential intruders and leaving you free to relax and enjoy those trips away.
1. Use timed lighting
I think most of us would agree that a good security measure you can take is to set your lights with a timer, so they switch on when night falls. If you program a timer to switch the lights on upstairs a minute after the downstairs ones turn on, anyone watching your house would assume someone is home and just went up the stairs and turned the lights on.
2. Have friends help
It’s a good idea to arrange plans for a friend or neighbor to collect your mail and keep an eye on the house. Having them open and close your curtains at appropriate times can help, too. With a smart lock, you can let someone in to do this and check the locks via an app again after they leave.
3. Ramp up security
Don’t give criminals easy access. You should put locks on gates, have visible security cameras and lights that shine brightly on the driveway when someone approaches the house. You may not own a guard dog, but you could still put a “Beware of Dog” sign on your gate. All these measures will make a burglar think twice about accessing your property.
4. Maintain a driveway presence
Ask a neighbor if they’d park one of their cars in your driveway while you’re away. You could offer to return the favor for them when they have their weekend trips away.
5. Make it look occupied
If an intruder manages to get near the house, there are more tricks to deter them from entering the property further. For example, leave a radio playing low or put a light on a timer that simulates the bluish flicker of a TV screen. If someone was to look through a window, it’s a good idea to leave a few things scattered around that to make the home look occupied. Nothing looks more like you’ve went away than an immaculate place, so leave an open book and a pair of glasses on the arm of a chair or a few toys in the middle of the floor.
