Home security while traveling
 

Hello guys!

I wonder does anyone have a video surveillance system at home? or how else do you provide security to your house and premises while you are away from home? are you a client of some security company?

I'm going to France for one month with my family. And I'm a little bit worried about the house safety. It's the first time we all leave for for such a long time, all together.

I actually think I can do video surveillance system myself. Any suggestions on cameras? software? IP or analog cameras? iSpy? Xeoma? ZoneMinder? so many programs, I'm a little bit lost...I tried to google, but the informations on IT forums is way too technical...I need more realistic advice.

Thanks to everyone in advance!

Ciao!

We've gone away for over a month. We have no alarm system or surveillance system. We just stop our mail delivery, leave a car parked in front of our house, and have our neighbor keep an eye on our home.
We can't control what's happening while we're away anyway.

Video surveillance that is not systematically monitored is not much security at all. Regular checks of the property in person are essential. Burglary is not the only issue; your utilities need to be watched too, especially in case of plumbing accidents. You might want to check with your insurance agent to see what your homeowner insurance requires. Also make arrangements regarding mail and newspaper delivery. Put lights on timers and even leave a radio playing.

There is no one answer as it depends so much on where you live. I live on a very quiet cul-de-sac in a very safe town, and don't do anything special, not even one of those gizmos to turn lights on and off - and I'm gone for months at a time. My neighbor has a key and the phone number of a contact. A friend stops by every couple of weeks to check on things and take my car for a drive. I don't take a newspaper since it was too hard to get them to stop delivery. But if you live in a higher crime area, or have more oblivious (less nosy?) neighbors you would need to take more precautions.

I deal with the water issue by turning the water off at the street, and pulling the circuit breaker on the water heater. Perhaps you would find my check list for leaving home useful: http://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/...ing-home-list/

I close the garage door, double check that the front door is locked and I leave. I have family get the mail in and check the house on a regular basis and I generally give their phone numbers to the neighbor in case they notice an issue. I don't worry about turning off water or that sort of thing since family (my Mom generally) stop in every day or two.

The most important factor Normanda is what does your house insurance provider require you to do. This varies by country so check with your insurance provider.

In some countries it is not unknown for an Insurance company to insist that someone is living in the house if you are gone for more than X amount of time. That can be as little as 30 days. Many will require that someone visit the house at least weekly to check for problems.

I cannot stress enough that you MUST check with your insurance policy as to the requirements that apply in YOUR case.

Video surveillance is as noted, useless unless it is monitored and even if it is, if that is all you do, you may well find your insurance not covering you.

Video surveillance might work - the problem being that if nobody is watching, it won't help an awful lot. Good for after the event, but perhaps not a good preventive measure.

When we have taken long trips - a couple of months - we have had house sitters. First time, I mentioned on Fodors that we were going away, and would be needing a sitter. It took about three milliseconds for someone to say, "Pick me, pick me!". It worked well, and she has become a friend, as well as being a Venice nut-case like us.

Second time we put up an advert on a house sitting web site, and had a dozen responses. A young couple looked good, police checks, references, all that, and so that worked well. We had them booked several months before we went away. They sent us photos of our cats while we were on holidays, and that was fun.

We do have an alarm system which we regularly use; we stop the mail; neighbors pick up miscellaneous flyers or packages that might be left at front door; we turn off the water; pull the plug on electronics, have couple lights on timers. Our lawncutter has our cell numbers to call if he notices anything. In the winter someone would plow our driveway-- that's about it. We have a home safe and use that too. I also turn off our home phone's voicemail so we do not come back to 40 useless messages or hang-ups. A month away is heaven...

We leave our cat at home rather than boarding in a small cage.
We have someone come in to feed, water and clean litter box daily. This person also makes sure heat is on and everything else is OK.
They have our number if they need to let us know of any problem.

We have an alarm system which we only use when we leave for trips. We have someone come in and check our home once a week too and bring in the mail. House checker sends our mail to us in a priority box weekly if we're in the US.

Leave the house looking like you do when at home. If you normally have a snow shovel/rubber boots/lawn furniture on your porch, leave it there. Drapes closed 24/7 is a sure signal you are not at home. Have sensor activated lights at all doors.

If you have expensive jewellry don’t leave it in your bedroom--that’s the first place a thief will look. Use cereal box in the kitchen cupboard, or a paint can in the basement. And if you are forgetful like me, send yourself an email reminding you where it is hidden, so you won’t surprise yourself at breakfast time weeks after your return!

As others have suggested, having someone check regularly is your best insurance. ( And it can’t hurt to have them keep a log of their visits. The insurance company might require it).

I don't do much. Board the cat at an overpriced facility that he's oh so happy at, let my neighbor across the street know I'll be gone and to call the cops if he sees anything weird, and I stop the mail.

A friend of mine in Florida has a security system with tons of cameras both inside and out that he can monitor from his phone. Pretty cool but much too pricey for me.

It just depends on your level of comfort.

We've gone away for as long as 8 weeks--no alarm or surveillance system.
We stop the mail and the paper.
DH drains the pipes to prevent freezing (we live in Wisconsin and go to Colorado in the winter).
We have a freeze alarm that calls us if the temp drops below a certain level.
We have lights on timers in several rooms.
A friend has the key to our house.
We live in a small suburb, so let the police know we'll be gone and give them a cell # to call if they need to.
We're comfortable with that, but I'm not making recommendations for anyone else.

Our trips vary from 2 days to 3 weeks.

We have a cat sitter who comes in twice a day to feed and console the little darlings (and do poopie duty for the electric litter boxes). Our neighbors on both sides and across the street are advised of our absence and itinerary, as well as our friends. They do the same with us.

DH is considering a camera setup to be able to chide the cats daily (get off our bed! stop scratching that couch!). So far it hasn't happened.

The other day, a neighbor called DH's cell phone to say our garage door was open. He reassured her that I was home a little early - guess the system works. At any rate, if you have neighbors actually home during the day and generally watchful, count your blessings and make sure you all come together to look out for each other.

On the other hand, a friend of mine installed his own system (he doesn't live in a neighborhood) and was alerted to a burglary that would have cleaned him out. That, of course, required that he got notification, etc. Whatever system you do choose, it really helps to know your neighbors in such a way that you can let them know how to reach you and when you will be away. This is not something shared casually, of course.

<Leave the house looking like you do when at home.>
So I would have to either leave the house often carrying a suitcase, or leave for a vacation without my suitcase?? :-D

Good one, NewbE.