The holidays are fast approaching – and that means many people will be traveling and leaving their houses unattended. At Frank Calabretta’s Bail House in Auburn, California, we want to help you deter burglars if you plan to be away from home for the holidays. Follow these six tips for keeping your home safe while you are away.
If you plan to share pictures of a family vacation or trip away for the holidays we highly recommend you wait until you return from your vacation to do so. It might seem unlikely that friends or family members who follow your social media accounts would try to break in while you’re away, but you never know who else is seeing your posts.
Whether it is a friend of a friend who overheard them talking about your trip, or someone who randomly stumbles upon your social media profile if you have it set to public. Keep the details of your trip private until you return and if you do decide to post, it’s always a great idea to remove location tags from social media so people can’t see where you are at any given time.
It might seem obvious that you should lock your doors before going on vacation, but don’t forget to secure the rest of your house as well. Dog doors, mail slots, sliding glass doors on second floors, tool sheds, and even windows need to be closed and locked so that burglars cannot reach in with a tool or remove a screen to enter.
If you have an automatic garage door, you can take extra precaution by disconnecting the electronic opener and placing a padlock on the garage door track so that no one can open it. If you happen to have smart locks on your home, they can also help you to secure the house if you forgot to lock up or if you need to let a neighbor in for an emergency.
If you have a hide-a-key for emergencies in an obvious spot like under a fake rock or a doormat, it’s a great idea to remove it while you are away. You could give this spare key to a trusted neighbor or friend who can keep it in their possession just in case.
If you happen to have an alarm system, it’s a great idea to let your alarm company know that you will be away from home. If you don’t have an alarm system at your house, you can put up a fake security camera, motion sensor lights, and/or security company signs so that burglars will hesitate breaking into your house.
If you have the time and money, adding an alarm system to your home is an excellent option too. It also often gives you an extra discount on your homeowners insurance which is an additional benefit.
Get everything around the house in order before you leave for vacation, and even things like making sure your lawn is mowed and some holiday lights and decorations are in place (even if you will not be home for the holidays) can suggest that your home is occupied.
Make sure your blinds, curtains, and furniture are not moved or out of the ordinary, and plug in different timers to various lights on the inside and outside of the house so that they turn on at different times of day. You can do the same with other appliances such as a television or radio to make it look and sound like you are home.
You can also have a friend or neighbor “housesit” by checking on your house every few days, collecting your newspapers, packages, and mail so that they don’t pile up and attract unwanted attention.
Let a few trustworthy neighbors know that you are going to be gone, and when you’ll be back. Have them check on your house every once in a while and provide them with a spare key so that they can make sure everything is as it should be.
Besides giving them your emergency contact information, you can also let them know that they have permission to call the authorities if they see anything out of place or suspicious going on on your property while you are away.
If you happen to be checking on a friend or family member’s home as a courtesy to them while they are away and the police think otherwise, you may be in need of affordable bail bonds near you. Here at Frank Calabretta’s Bail House we offer ASAP bail bonds so that you can get out of jail fast. Don’t wait for your trial date behind bars; simply call us at (530) 823-8340 so we can help you right away.
At Bail House, we have been serving the Placer County community and surrounding areas for over 40 years with ASAP bail bonds. We always make it our priority to treat all of our clients with respect and provide affordable bail bonds when they need them most.