Securing your home when you are away

Is your apartment to be left empty for a few days or weeks while you and your family vacation out of town? That is when it usually is most vulnerable to burglaries and housebreaks. Here are several things you can do to deal with it.

* The most sensible alternative is to have a sitter at home. Having someone stay at home is always safer than a home that is not occupied. Try arranging for a friend or relative to stay at your house when you are away.

* Temporarily stop newspaper delivery and mail delivery while you are away from home. Untouched mail and newspaper lets passersby know that the home is empty.

* If you maintain potted plants that are visible from the road arrange for them to be watered and kept well. Or keep the potted plants of of sight. Uncared for plants convey to would be burglars that the house is uninhabited.

* Use timers on the lights, radio and tv. Lights in multiple rooms should be on timers. Set the timings of the lights so it looks as if someone is home. The lights in the living room should switch on at sunset. When you normally hit the sack the living room should have lights off and the bedroom lights should switch on.

If you commonly switch on tv at 9 and keep in on till 11 pm have the timer set accordingly. The lights may be on but the absence of light from the tv can give away that the apartment or home is empty.

* Request a neighbor to come in and check out your home frequently. Curtains and windows being opened signals that the apartment or home is occupied.

* If you rent the apartment notify the owner that the apartment or home will be empty. The landlord may want to check on the home now and then.

* If you have a burglar alarm installed make certain that the apartment sitter is aware of just how to work it.

* See that the neighbor or house sitter can contact you. Whoever is keeping tabs on the apartment should be aware of who should be informed should a problem arise.

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