Many homeowners in the US have purchased and installed burglar alarms in order to protect their families, homes, and valuables. There is no secret that the average burglar today has gotten pretty bold and brazen, and will sometimes stop at nothing to break into a home, even if there are alarms in place. However, there is still a greater risk of being victimized if you have not protected your family, home, and property with burglar alarms than if you have installed a system.
If you are planning on taking an extended vacation and are going to be away for several days, relying solely on your burglar alarms to protect your home and valuables while you are away may not be enough. The following are some additional precautions that you should take before heading out on your trip:
Test your system one last time – although you should be running system tests on your burglar alarms on a regular basis, you should run a test one more time a couple of days before you leave. Should there be any problems, this gives you enough time to have a technician come out and correct the problem.
Install light timers – many individuals today have installed timers that turn lights on and off both inside the home and outside. A motion sensor light over the garage door is recommended as well. Should a burglar approach the home via the driveway, the light coming on may be enough of a deterrent and keep them from triggering your alarms.
Have the Post office hold your mail – unless it’s a Sunday or national holiday, mail is going to be delivered every day. The last thing you want a possible intruder to see is a mailbox that is stuffed to capacity. With all the junk mail that we are subject to today, your mailbox could be filled up within a couple of days.
Place a stoppage on your newspaper subscription – another dead giveaway that you are not at home is newspapers lying all over your driveway, porch, or yard. This is an open invitation to a burglar and will render your burglar alarms ineffectual. You can always arrange this with the circulation department of your local newspaper.
Talk to your neighbors – like it or not, your neighbors are watchdogs but they can also be your greatest ally whenever you are gone on vacation. Should your burglar alarms be triggered and they know you are away from home, there is a good possibility that they will contact the police regarding the issue.
