Home security while traveling?
 

What are your best tips for security while traveling? We moved into a new home and don't know our new neighbors too well yet. We are thinking of a run-of-the-mill subscription service vs. personal apps and cameras. Does anyone put lights on timers anymore?

Basic common sense:
Stop newspaper delivery
Put a hold on your mail delivery
Yes, put lights on times (use the random mode)
Some people put a radio or TV on a timer

And, we have an alarm system.

Have done all but TV/radio for 40 plus years of travel - never had an incident.

<Put a hold on your mail delivery>
Unless you have the old school slot-in-the-door. In that case, don't stop mail delivery. No one will be able to see the mail piling up, and it's good for the mailman to come to your house daily. (Mail carriers are often the first to spot and report suspicious activity.)

I agree with all of RoamsAround's advice, and would only add, as I'm sure you already know, to get to know a neighbor or two. I find it very comforting to let my neighbors know we'll be away so they can keep an eye out for trouble.

Tip number ONE. Make sure you have insurance coverage.

Many people do not know that their home insurance policy probably has specific requirements you must meet when away from home, for coverage to be valid.

In some cases, it will specific someone must visit your home once a week for example. Alarms, lights on, etc. are all fine but of no use whatsoever if your insurance is invalid when something happens.

We stop the mail and the paper, always have lights on timers, hire a handyman to check inside the house once a week, continue the snow plow service, have a freeze alarm, notify the police that we'll be gone.

Yes I put lights on timers, but I'm in a 3rd floor condo that's pretty secure naturally.

Would it be worth it to you to hire a housesitter to come in and check on things while you're gone? More than being robbed, I think about things like plumbing leaks, etc.

Turn off your hot water heater. (advice on another thread)

We have lights on timers when we don't have anyone staying with the pets.

I put the lights on timers. I also put a 'no junk mail' (flyers) sign on my letter box so it doesn't overflow with stuff even though I have someone regularly empty it. I make sure my rubbish bins go out on their normal nights so it doesn't look conspicuous.

<Would it be worth it to you to hire a housesitter to come in and check on things while you're gone? >

Since we have pets, we have someone come over twice daily. If we didn't have them, I'm not sure I would pay someone to come over for a short trip, but for a longer one, I definitely would, or line up a friend or relative.

I wouldn't shut off the water heater--ours is out in the garage anyway--but I would shut off the water to the washing machine.

I forget where, but I was reading a thread somewhere about how professional thieves can smell out any of these things, they can figure out routines, patterns, etc. And they only need 10 to 15 minutes to do what they want.

We really have nothing of great value… We are far more concerned about personal security rather than material sessions. So I guess a break and while we're gone, while distressing, would be far more preferable than something while we're home.

Does anyone have an app that you can check on things from your phone while you're away? Any pros or cons to this? Of course, you'd want to enjoy your trip and not be constantly checking your phone!

Break in, not break and.

I turn off my water heater because I turn off the water at the street as I am responsible for any leak from that point. If the water heater leaked ( as happened recently!) I wouldn't want the heater running.