Tips on Protecting Your Home While on Vacation From a Local Fire and Security

Lifeline Fire & Security, a full-service security monitoring company in Hawaii, would like to offer you these tips and suggestions for protecting your home from theft while you are away on vacation. Protecting your home when you are away shouldn't have to be something you worry about and by employing a few simple tricks, you can leave your home for an extended period with peace of mind. Residents with alarm systems in Hawaii can trust their house will be protected while away, but here are some other precautions you can take to keep your possessions safe.

Outside Signs You Are Away

There are several clues that will inform a prospective burglar you are away. By making a few small changes and making some arrangements ahead of time, you can avoid tipping burglars off to the fact that no one is home.

• Mail and Newspapers—have delivery of your mail and newspapers stopped for the length of your vacation. Newspapers accumulating on the doorstep or an overflowing mailbox can be a sure sign no one is home. You can also arrange to have someone pick these up every day, which also means they will be at the house, even briefly to check on it and give the appearance of someone being there.


• Yard Work—letting your yard go while you are away can indicate a vacant home. Have someone mow the lawn, rake the leaves, shovel the snow or water the garden while you are gone.


• If you will only be gone for two to three days, hang some clothes on a clothesline to give the appearance of someone being home.


• Park Your Car in the Driveway—not only does parking your car in the driveway give the impression you are home, it makes it more difficult for the crook to park his vehicle close to the house, so he can load up with your belongings.


• Padlock Driveway Gate—if you have a driveway gate, padlock it. If the thief cannot get close enough to the house to load the car, he may have second thoughts about trying to break in.

Inside the House

There are some things you can do to on the inside of the house to give the impression that you are still home. First and foremost, make sure your alarm monitoring service knows you will be away. If you do not have one, consider hiring a fire and security company to install a security system before you leave.

• Put Timers on Lights—having your lights go on and off at preset times can give the impression of inside activity.


• Draperies—keep the drapes on lower floors drawn and those on upper floors open.


• Watch Your Communications—do not post on the Internet that you will be gone as you never know who is watching your posts. Do not change the message on your home answering machine. It can tip off burglars.


• Lock Doors and Windows, Set Alarms—make sure every potential entry point including doors, windows, garages and porch doors are locked. If you do this and employ alarm systems in Hawaii, burglars will have a much harder time gaining access to your home.


• Hire a House Sitter—the next best thing to a fire and security company watching over your home is a house sitter. Ask someone to stay at your home while you are away and most burglars will be deterred.