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For most of us, the time we spend planning for our wonderful trip overseas (or anywhere for that matter) is primarily spent planning what we will do while we are gone and not what might happen to our house, car, and other belongs while we are away. Because a lot of thieves know this, they are in a position to take advantage of us while we are gone. Here are a few tips to make sure you have a home to come home to!
Your Conversation
Your Luggage
Your Car
Your Home
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Your Conversation...
If you are my age you can remember the old slogan “Loose lips lose ships.” Or, be careful what you say and where you say it.
When you are in the check-out line at the discount store talking with someone and paying with a check you should not be telling
everyone that you are getting ready to leave for Europe for three weeks. You never know who could be listening and looking at
your address (the cashier?) and passing that information on to others. I know it is exciting to talk about your trip – just be cautious
where and when you do your talking. And, don’t tell everyone you see as a lot of people do not need to know (The cleaners, at
your bank, the hair dresser, the clerk at Blockbuster – I think you get the picture.) until you return. There will be lots of time to
relate all of your travel stories to them when you get back.
Your Luggage...
One of the important things to remember with reference to your luggage is the luggage tags you place on them. You should never
put your address and telephone number on the tag where it will be visible. One of the things you can do is put your name on one
side of the tag, the side that is visible and therefore easy to read, and all of the other information on the other side of the tag.
Then, seal or tape the tag so it is difficult for anyone to take out the tag to find out your address. There have been gangs that
would employ the porter at the airport to get this information off of the luggage tags, especially if it was apparent that a family
would be traveling together and the home possibly unoccupied for a period of time, and turn it over to the actual thieves who
would arrive at your home knowing there might not be anyone there to stop them as they cleaned you out.
Your Car...
If it is at all possible, do not drive your car to the airport. First, it is expensive to park there and you then leave your car open to
thieves, but it is a dead giveaway that you are not at home. And, if you do take your car to the airport, and if you have two cars
that are normally parked in a carport, move the car that is left in the carport to the center of the carport so it does not look as
though one is missing. And, if you leave you car parked in a lot at the airport, try and park it under a light post or on the perimeter
of the lot where there is traffic.
Your Home...
This is probably the most important area to do some planning as you want to make it appear that you are home even when you
are away. Thieves can easily tell when a house is not being lived in because the normal activity around the house has been
drastically changed. Here are just a few things to help you make sure your home looks lived in while you are gone.
Contact the Police – Let the police know you will not be at home. Let them know when you are leaving and when you plan
to arrive. If you will be leaving lights on in the home, make sure they are aware of it. Also, if you will have some “house sitting”
while you are away, be sure to give them the pertinent information. It would be terrible to have a friend or relative detained by
the police because they were in your home. And, of course, if you have a monitored alarm service, give them all of the same
information.
The Mail and the Paper – I never notify the post office or the newspaper that I will be away. I know that is the easy way to be
sure the mail and the newspapers do not pile up (especially the newspapers on the driveway) and signal that you are not home,
but I never know if I can trust everyone at those location either. I always have someone come over to the house and collect
the mail and bring in the paper while I am away. If you cannot find a friend or relative to do this, there are companies in many
of the larger cities that provide this type of service and you can probably find them in the yellow pages of your telephone book.
The individual you get to do this has to be quite responsible to do a good job. For instance, if you get the morning paper they
should come over in the morning to get the paper. They can always get the previous days mail at the same time.
Inside the House – You can purchase timers for lights that can be
programmed to turn lights on and off at specific times while
you are away. If you do this, buy several and place them in different rooms with the timing set so they will go on and off at
different times so the entire house is not lighted up and then darkened at the same time each day. You can also put a timer
on your television or a radio which will also add to the appearance of someone being in the house. I also turn off my answering
machine so that someone will not get the same message each evening that I am not at home. I also have the individual who is
watching my house for me change the appearance of the house by lowering or raising curtains or blinds at different times and
on different days, turning on a light in the basement on a day or two, and turning on the light on the porch or the carport
occasionally.
Outside of the House – If you can, have the person who is watching your house water the flowers or set the sprinkler to water
the grass occasionally. You can also purchase a timer to attach to your garden hose and sprinkler. Another thing this person
can do is move your car out of the carport to the driveway occasionally, or change the position of the car in the carport (back it in,
for instance). And, if you do not have a yard maintenance service, hire one of the neighbor kids or someone else to cut the
grass while you are gone.
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