How To Protect Your Home When You Travel
After reading Priyank’s encounter with a burglar in his home I began to think about how vulnerable our dwellings are, especially when we’re not in them. Travelers who will be gone for even a few days from their homes can take a few simple measures to protect them and deter thieves.
We take so many precautions to protect the things we travel with and you should do the same for all the things you leave behind.
- Install A Fake Security Camera - Most of the precautions you need to take are about deterrence since you won’t be able to stop a burglar once their inside. Install a fake security camera above each door to your home. Amazon sells a pretty convincing pair for about $20 each.
- Make A Sign For Your Home Monitoring Service - Print and laminate a lawn sign for name-your-own home monitoring service or replicate one by ADT, Brinks, or any well-known local name in your area. Study after study shows these are just as effective as the actual alarm systems for warding off crooks (who just move on to the next house).
- Used signs can also be found on eBay.
- Talk To Your Nosey Neighbors – We’ve all got that person on the block or in our apartment building that just has to know what everyone is up to. As annoying as they are, these people are great security resources. If they’re friendly ask them to keep an eye on your place and give your friend (someone who lives nearby) a ring if they see anything suspicious.
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- Use a temporary SkypeIn number to maintain your privacy and get international calls.
- Have the gossiping goose pick up your newspaper deliveries.
- Beware they’ll want to know all about your trip!
- Get Lit Up – Buy and install a light timer or two on the main level and bedroom of your home. Have them go off for a few hours at night and in the morning before the sun rises. Buy a light sensitive base (can be found at most hardware stores) for your outdoor light bulbs so they’ll turn on when it gets dark.
- Turn Your Laptop Into A Motion Detecting Camera - Download either Yawcam or Dorgem to any old computer you have lying around and setup a low budget webcam covering the most trafficked part of your house. Both of these free programs will automatically start recording and snapping shots when they detect any motion in front of the camera and will upload the images to an FTP server so you can view them from the Internet. Although this won’t prevent a crime it gives you powerful evidence to potentially capture the bad guys.
- Encrypt Your Data - Keep your data safe as you would from the TSA.
Finally, make sure you do the simple things by locking all of the doors and windows, leaving some of the blinds half open (to give the appearance the place is occupied). It may take some initial effort but these tips, especially the first and second ones, can help protect your home all of the time – not just when you’re traveling.
I’d like to hear your comments if home security is even a concern for you when your off jaunting around the world and what you do to keep home safe while you’re away.
[photo by: Ie Korrigan]
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My name is Anil, a traveler and travel enthusiast. I created foXnoMad to connect with other travelers, discover their world, and share what I’ve learned about mine.
Or: simply don’t keep a home to protect
@ Taylor:
Good point
For extended trips subletting is also an option, you get security plus some rent.
(With a high potential for headache when you return!)
Hi Anil,
I usually get a friend to house sit. This has been easy to do in the past but now the old reliables are either getting married or moving away.
Also, I have nosey neighbors, a box full of programmable light timers and a mother-in-law, so these should due for a month trip.
@ Kim:
It gets more difficult as you get older (and your friends!) to leave a house behind, and to travel in general.
The nosey neighbors are great…well most of the time
Oh,
One more idea. If you have a friend or neighbour who has a vehicle that hoe or she is storing, or if they have three cars in an area made for two, get them to park on your driveway. It’s like a scarecrow.
@ Kim:
I thought about adding this to the original list when I was writing it up and glad you mentioned it. I just couldn’t articulate it properly, but glad you did!
It’s another great way to keep the scenery around your home changing and looking ‘live’.
I’m getting those cameras!
@ Final:
Pretty sweet no? I was pondering ways to make a camera look alike then I found those. For $40 they look like the real thing.
If I were a crook I wouldn’t mess with a house with those bad boys hanging outside.
I don’t have a home any longer…but I do agree with your light timers as a very simple low-tech way to add security. You don’t have to be a computer whiz to install it!
One other thing – if you are traveling in the winter and it snows when you are gone – make sure you have a neighbor come over and scoop your driveway – or at least drive in and out of it so it has tire tracks in the snow…that way people will think people are there coming and going.
Good point – thinking about it now a home covered in snow next to a nicely shoveled one does really stand out. Sort of along those lines, here in Germany each neighbor has their designated turn to shovel the sidewalks and walkways around their houses and apartments for everyone else. A nice system for security and otherwise!