With the warm weather upon us, many of us are beginning to plan our summer vacation activities and adventures, for a lot of us that means travelling. Before you even print those plane or cruise tickets, take a moment to think of the steps you can take to secure your home before you leave on vacation. Peace of mind on the road, or while you’re in another country is worth a lot.  Avoid having to file an expensive insurance claim when you return by following these simple tips & tricks.

Mail for Days - Place a hold on mail and newspaper. There’s nothing worse than leaving on a two week vacation to have 14 newspapers piled at your front door or in your mailbox. This is like a welcome mat for burglars ask a neighbour to pick up your mail and newspapers every day or visit your local post office to place a hold on your mail.

Move It - Leave a car in your driveway. This is an easy step to help deter home break ins. Having a presence at your home is key. Whether this means, having a friend or family member drive you to the airport or having your neighbour park in your driveway occasionally. The occasional shift in position makes your home look occupied.

 Keep it Clean - If you’re travelling for more than a week hire a lawn care or snow removal company to clean up the yard while you’re away. Manicured outdoor spaces give the appearance of the house being occupied.

Shine Bright – Since most robberies happen at night, install timers on various lights throughout your home to turn on at all different times so it looks like someone is home. Also consider installing motion activated lighting outdoors to keep your home secure.

Keep it Safe – Always keep your valuables such as extra cash, or expensive jewelry in a code locking safe. If your home unfortunately gets broken into, you don’t want them getting their hands on your expensive jewellery.

Garage Hack - tech savvy burglars can easily crack the code to trigger your garage door to open. Make sure you disable your electric garage door opener before you leave.

Let it Slide – Sliding doors are often the easiest and weakest link to your home security. Insure that they are locked correctly and for added security place a cut to fit stick or rod in the tracks.

Sound the Alarm - If it fits into your budget, consider installing a home security system before you leave. Many companies offer monitoring for a low monthly cost. Burglaries are much less likely to happen if there is an alarm system in place.

Shut it off – Turn off your internal water valve. The last thing you want when returning from a peaceful vacation is a flooded home from an old pipe bursting or your washing machine hose failing.

Remove the spare keys – Remember those spare keys you left under the planter? It’s time to bring them in so no one uses them while you’re away!

Taking these necessary steps to protect your home can really help put your mind at easy while you’re away. Bon Voyage!