While you may be dreaming of making new memories with family and friends over the holidays, your Seattle Locksmith knows that you should take as many precautions as you can to not attract uninvited guests to your home while you are away.  Criminals know that this is a popular time of year to travel and will look for homes that are unoccupied. Here’s some advice for you to make your house look like you are home even when you may be thousands of miles away on your long awaited vacation.

Inside Lights:  Using a time controller is a great way to keep lights and other electrical devices on at key times of the day to give the illusion that someone is home.  Immediately before sunrise and after sunset a light will trick a burglar that someone is home when they are supposed to be — before and after work.  Yes, it does seem a bit wasteful to have lights on when no one is home, but it is better to pay a little extra in electricity than having to pay more insurance premiums to replace stolen items.

Neighborhood Watch:  Have a neighbor keep your lawn mowed and pick up your mail and papers while you are away.  An unkempt lawn and stacks of mail on the porch is a sure sign that the house’s occupants are away and leaves your home an easy target. Of course you should offer to reciprocate your neighbors kindness when they are away as well.

Outside Lights:  Earlier, we made the point to make sure the inside of your home is lit, but we implore that the outside should be well lit also.  Make sure porch lights and other sources of lighting such as pathway lighting are set to a timer so that the exterior of your home will be lit on the darkest nights.  Burglars don’t want to feel like they can be spotted. Having a well lit exterior can make them uneasy and hopefully decide not even trying to break into your home.

Remembering these tips will help guard against burglars, but just in case, secure locks will be your last defense.  Make sure to contact your Seattle Locksmith to find out if your locks are safe or if they need replacing.  Our courteous staff know that you want to protect what you’ve worked so hard for, so we strive to only give you the best.

photo credit: The Shopping Sherpa via photopin cc