7 Ways to Keep Your Home Safe While You Are on Vacation

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I hope you all are enjoying your summer. Summer is a great time to relax and we hope you all are able to take a vacation this year.  If you are planning on taking a trip soon, we have a list of 7 tips for you if you are leaving your home unattended for an extended period of time. Following these steps will dramatically decrease the chances of your Phoenix home falling victim to burglary.

1. Give a key to a friend
• Give a key to a trusted friend, along with any alarm codes or garage codes you may have so they can access your home in a pinch. That fake rock you have outside isn't fooling anybody and if burglars know you're on vacation, they will have plenty of time to look for the key.
2. Stay off social media
• One thing to shy away from is posting about your trip on Facebook or any other social media site. You should probably wait until you get home to post those vacation pictures. Criminals are lurking on social media sites just waiting for a chance to find someone in a compromising position.
3. Call the Police 
• Another good idea is calling the police department and having them keep an eye on your home for you if you are on vacation. If a criminal knows that the police are keeping an eye on your house, they will know better than to try and burglarize it. 
4. Leave the curtains open
• Leaving your curtains open may seem like a bad idea because you don't want criminals to see inside your house. The problem with closing your curtains, though, is that neighbors keeping an eye on your home can't see inside of the home either. They will be more apt to see something if the curtains are open.
5. Keep lights off, or buy a timer
• The problem with leaving your lights on while you are on vacation is that if a burglar comes by at 3 AM and all the lights are on, they will know something is up. It's a good idea to get an auto timer and have your inside lights come on for a few hours during the day, and have your outside lights come on  at night. 
6. Stop your mail and newspaper
• A pile of newspapers and mail is a big signal to people that you are not home. Simply hold your mail and paper for however long you will be gone and you can pick it up when you get back.
7. Unplug your electronics
• Doing this will not only save you money, but it will keep your home safer while you are gone from potential fires.

If you follow these simple tips, your home will be much safer when you go on vacation and you can rest easy and enjoy your trip. If you have any questions about this or anything else going on in the Phoenix real estate market, give us a call and we would be happy to help you out.