Every time you turn on the news you are reminded of dangers that surround you. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that home robbery is down over time, but has increased over last year in many parts of the country. This would be a good time to remind people of simple ways to safeguard your home while you're away.
Remember that if a home has the appearance of being occupied, would be robbers are often deterred. There are many easy ways to make it look like someone's home. Here are a couple of the top ways to avoid making your home an easy target:
- Get a timer for your lights for about $25 at a hardware store, so that some lights will turn on when you are out. Also, make sure to leave your blinds in an every-day position.
- Rely on your neighbors and friends for help. Have someone pick up your mail, newspapers, flyers and any deliveries that could arrive when you are out. A simple door hanger sitting for days is an obvious sign your home is unoccupied. You can even have your mail and newspaper deliveries stopped in your absence.
- Make sure that your answering machine message is general; don't notify people that you won't be home for some time.
- Most homes with alarms are hit when the alarm is off, so make sure to turn on your alarm before you leave. Home security is a definite deterrent for would-be robbers. Some companies offer customers the ability to enable and disable their alarms from a cell phone, and to receive emails if there is any activity when you're out of the house. When choosing a home security company, be certain that their services meet your needs and that they will available when you need them most.
