Getting away for the holidays means either visiting with family and friends or just sitting back to relax in comfortable surroundings. One thing that should be addressed before you depart is making sure that your home is fully protected from thieves or others who might wreak havoc while you’re gone.
Many people take care of this by hiring a home security service to handle such matters, while others choose to do everything they can within their budget to offer their own form of protection. The latter isn’t always the best solution, which is why a security investment is one that can bring peace of mind.
Yet even before choosing among any number of home security companies, there are ways to make sure your home is protected during your travels during the holidays. These include:
Staying Under the Radar
In this age of social media, you and members of your family may be eager to share details online about your upcoming trip. The problem with that idea is that criminals have been known to peruse such accounts for that type of information and can then be assured that they won’t encounter anyone during their home invasion.
Of course, those with home alarm systems can make sure to have them set up to handle such concerns. Some criminals may seek to neutralize such a setup, but that type of knowledge is far from the norm, which helps make any alarm system invaluable in preventing such trouble.
Alert the Police
Someone that should be contacted is your local law enforcement, given their motto to serve and protect. While they can’t offer coverage around the clock, they can certainly maintain a closer watch if they’re aware that a home could be vulnerable to criminals.
Police availability may be more of a question mark in larger cities, given the increased volume of crimes that take place there on a daily basis. Still, even if you don’t end up making an investment in a home security service, having this unofficial protection is reassuring.
Interior Light Timers
A house that’s completely dark during the evening is one that’s begging to be robbed, given the simple fact that no normal individual spends their waking hours in complete darkness. A nearby hardware or appliance store should have these timers available.
By simply setting them to go on and off during the normal course of an evening, you can at least give a potential thief second thoughts about invading your home. These timers don’t need to be on all night, since the lights going off gives the impression that you’re heading to bed.
Halt Mail and Keep Up Landscaping
Another way to make it look as though you’re home is to make sure to put a temporary stop on your mail and keep up the landscaping. A stuffed mailbox or overgrown grass will raise the eyebrows of any prowler since it’s clear that nobody is home and the valuables inside are ripe for the taking.
If you’d rather not go to that trouble, then try to make arrangements with either a neighbor or a family member to pick up such items and keep up with yard work. While taking care of these matters won’t shut down a determined thief, this step should put some doubt in their mind.
Invest in Smart Locks and Doorbells
In the rush to head out for that holiday vacation, you may forget the most obvious aspect of home protection: locking your doors. Without smart locks and doorbells in place, you could be extremely vulnerable to thieves, especially if your home is away from other residences,
With a smart lock, you can make sure to handle such an oversight as forgetting to lock your door from your phone, while you’ll also be able to see anyone knocking on your door. In many cases, an individual knocking on the door will be harmless, but you can watch their actions from your holiday spot.
The Value of Alarm Systems
The previous mention of home alarm systems only scratched the surface at the value they can provide to a vacationing homeowner. Any attempted robbery can be immediately detected by home security companies that have been specifically contracted to offer this level of protection.
Once the security company has been made aware of an incursion into your home, they can alert local law enforcement who can then rush to the scene as quickly as possible. In some cases, the thieves may be scared away by the alarm, while others may choose to get what they can and subsequently be caught in the act.
The Best Choice
When undertaking a search for home security companies, you don’t want to spend a great deal of time choosing one. By selecting Aeon Systems, your job is done because of the scope of our offerings. The home security service we provide includes things like home alarm systems, video surveillance and other valuable aspects of protection. Just call us at 817-466-9079 to get things started, or fill out our online form.
