Traveling out of town this weekend? Worried that your house might be burglarized? Inspired by the movie "Home Alone," you could have this grand idea of setting up cardboard cutouts to make it appear like your house isn't empty, but the reality is, burglars can easily tell they're fake if they look long and hard enough.
So, what can you do to deter theft while you're away? Here are more practical tips:
1) Take care of your mail.
Burglars get the biggest clue that no one is home from the mail and packages that pile up in your mailbox or on your doorstep. Ahead of your trip, make arrangements with the local post office to reroute your mails to your neighbor's place and make sure that your neighbors know about this too. Better yet, tell the post office to hold off any deliveries until you return. The USPS has a Hold Mail Service online.
2) Set up your trash bins.
If you're not at home during trash day, arrange for a neighbor to put your trash bins by the driveway, even if they are empty. This way, burglars will assume that things are going on as usual in the household.
3) Arrange for driveway or yard clean-up after snow.
If it snows and you're not at home, arrange for someone to clear your driveway's entrance. You could also ask your neighbors to provide foot tracks or tire tracks around your property, as a pristine snow-covered yard will be a dead giveaway to burglars.
4) Leave the radio or TV blasting or invest in smart devices.
While leaving the radio or TV could slightly affect your electricity bill, it's not wasted energy if it actually deters burglars from entering your house. Better yet, consider using smart devices such as the WeMo Switch from Amazon. This is a Wi-Fi enabled device that allows you to control home electronics even if you're not in the house. You can enable the lights and other home appliances. It also comes with a timer, so that you can schedule switches as if there really are people inside the house.
You might also want to look into installing Fake TV. Watch the video of how this works below:
5) Arrange for a house sitter.
If you're still apprehensive about leaving your property, you can hire a housesitter from a professional agency. You could also ask a trusted friend, neighbor or co-worker to stay at your place for a few days. Housesitters are great if you're leaving pets in the house, too.
For more on home safety during the holidays, check out: Holiday Break-In Prevention: Sensible Tips For Keeping Your House Safe From Burglars During Holidays
