The excitement of vacation planning can overshadow a crucial detail: home security. Especially when rushing to catch flights, it's easy to forget about the vulnerability of empty homes.

However, holiday periods are prime targets for opportunistic thieves who target vacant homes. That's why it's crucial to ensure our homes and belongings are fully protected whenever we go away for any prolonged period.

To help you feel prepared before you jet off on your travels, here are seven home security tips to keep your home safe while on holiday.

1. Double Check all your Doors, Windows, and other Locks

One of the most effective home safety tips before leaving for vacation is properly locking your doors, windows, and garage. These work as your initial line of defense against thieves. If you take care of it in the correct manner, then mishappenings might be avoided.

Therefore, as a rule of thumb, always double-check the locks for any possible opening or gated or fenced passage of your property, especially for the main door of your house. You can also install high-security door locks to enhance the safety of your property.

Must Read: How to Fix Common House Door Lock Problems?

2. Leave a light on

Nowadays, most of us are habitually switching off the lights even if we only leave the room for a few minutes to conserve energy and protect the environment. But one of the best home security tips you can follow before you go on holiday is to make sure your home looks occupied before you leave.

While there are several ways to achieve this, one of the most effective is to leave a light on when you go away on holiday. This will make it look like someone is home, warning any potential thieves in the neighborhood.

If you’re going on vacation for more than a week or two and you’re worried about wasting energy, then it might be worth investing in a timer that will automatically switch lights on and off at specified times throughout the day.

3. Keep the Curtains Open

As leaving your lights on a timer to make it look as if someone’s home, leaving a curtain or two open when you go away is also a good idea for added effect. But, if you leave the curtain open to deter thieves, then ensure any belongings or gadgets that you leave at home are hidden safely out of sight.

Hiding stuff under the bed or in a cupboard is a quick way of storing valuable items and will make sure you’re not left vulnerable should someone take a look through the window.

Also Read: Why Using Professional Duplicate Key Makers for Home Security is Important

4. Cancel any Regular Deliveries

There’s no bigger sign that there’s nobody home than a pile-up of newspapers and bottles of milk at the front door. Thus, it’s important that you cancel any scheduled deliveries while you’re away on holiday.

If you’re going on vacation for more than a few days, you can also arrange to have them delivered to your friend, relative, or neighbor to collect them for you while you’re away. This will reduce the risk of burglars looking for a vacant house to rob.

5. Try to Leave a Car on the Drive

Another one of the best home security tips when you’re going on vacation is leaving a car on the drive. This might not look practical always, but if you have multiple cars in the household then it might be a good idea to leave one on the drive to make it look as if there’s someone at home.

Driving is generally the easy way when it comes to going on holiday, so if you don’t have too much luggage it may be worth having a look into whether there are any other options to transport your luggage to the airport, such as taking a taxi, train or asking for a light from a friend or relative.

Recommended Read: 10 Road Safety Tips Every Driver Should Know About

6. Avoid Posting on Social Media

While there’s no doubt that It can be attractive to post every detail of your travel all over special media, it’s always a good idea to think of the consequences of your words or pictures before you post especially when it comes to stating that you’re going on vacation and your home will be unoccupied.

Announcing on Instagram when you’ll be away over the summer, also publicizes to the world when your home will be sitting empty.

A savvy thief can prepare themselves to quite the timetable by tracking people’s movements on social media – so maybe only post your holiday snaps after you’ve returned from your trip.

7. Be Careful when Hiding Keys

The last on the list of practical home security tips is to stay careful when hiding your home keys. Hiding your keys should be done cautiously so that you are not giving criminals free rein in your home.

Don’t just follow some essential safety tips; put your house key under that flower pot or welcome mat or by the door ledge.  Instead, if you want to leave a key behind, give it to a neighbor or friend for safekeeping.

Many smart door locks come with features like advanced alarm systems that update homeowners when an unauthorized person tries to access the home. So, you can also invest in smart door locks to avoid any mishappening when you’re on vacation.

Related Read: 5 Best Smart Door Locks for Home in 2024

Concluding Thoughts

By following the above-given home security tips, you can ensure your home is safe and secure while you’re on vacation. If required, a professional residential locksmith can also recommend the necessary repairs or upgrades you should implement for the security of your property.

Whether installing a smart door lock, rekeying locks, or any other key-related services like key duplication, a locksmith can help you with everything.

Keyenzy is one of the largest platforms with over 5000+ locksmiths helping anyone facing crucial and lock-related issues in India. If you’re searching for a local locksmith to fix any lock issue, feel free to contact us!

We can connect you with a local and trusted locksmith within minutes!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How to protect a house while on vacation?

Ans. You can protect your house while you’re on vacation by double-checking locks and windows, investing in a security system if possible, asking a trusted neighbor to keep an eye out and collect mail/parcels, and utilizing timers for lights and electronics to create an illusion of occupancy.

Q. How to monitor your home while on vacation?

Ans. You can monitor your home while on vacation by installing smart cameras or a video doorbell for remote monitoring. You can also ask a trusted neighbor to check in regularly and report any concerns.

Q. Should I leave the lights on when on vacation?

Ans. You should skip constant lights. Instead,  set timers to mimic your usual routine for a more natural look.

Q. How to protect your home without a security system?

Ans. You can protect your home without a security system by investing in deterrents like security cameras and bright outdoor lighting. Also, inform neighbors and request they keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

Q. How do you protect an empty house?

Ans. You can protect an empty house by securing entry points, deterring break-ins, and creating an illusion of occupancy.

Q. What are the three basic rules of home safety?

Ans. The three basic rules of home safety are:

• Secure entry points: Strong locks and deadbolts on all doors and windows.
• Deter break-ins: Keep valuable items hidden, use security systems, and maintain good outdoor lighting.
• Be vigilant: Be aware of your surroundings, report suspicious activity, and have a plan for emergencies.