Housing...Inside and Out

June 4, 1999
Have A Worry-Free Summer Vacation

Summertime is vacation time, and your vacation should be a pleasure. Here are a few tips designed to keep your holiday relaxing and worry-free. Burglars are always on the prowl for a house that looks temporarily unoccupied, so be doubly cautious during your vacation that you don't "advertise" your home as an easy target. A few tips for vacationers are:

  • Lock your doors with good deadbolt locks.
  • Stop delivery of your mail and papers.
  • Have flyers and other debris picked up by a trusted person.
  • Use timers to have lights or a TV turned on.
  • Have your lawn mowed.
  • Ask your neighbor to put some trash in your cans. 
  • Keep your garage doors locked.
  • Put all of your ladders in the garage.
  • Use a wood or metal rod to block your sliding doors. 
  • Mark your valuables with an electric etching pencil.
  • Notify the police of your absence beforehand so that they can periodically survey your house.

Another possibility is to use a housesitting service that will not only pick up your newspapers and mail, but also feed your pets, water your plants and answer your phone. The cost is nominal for this type of home security. If you return from your vacation and spot a door or window that has been forced or broken, don't enter the house. Use a neighbor's phone to contact the police. If there is no sign of forced entry, and you get inside and discover a crime has occurred, do the same. Don't touch anything, and immediately call the police. Some other precautions to help make your vacation safe and smooth are:

  • Refrain from carrying anything with you that will create physical, financial or emotional hardship it lost or stolen.
  • Leave extra credit cards, keys and expensive jewelry at home.
  • Carry traveler's checks. (They are refundable if lost or stolen).
  • Leave prescription medicines in the original containers marked with the prescription numbers. Also, carry along an additional prescription for any medicines you may need. 
  • Leave your passports and valuables in a safety deposit box at your hotel.
  • Don't put your home address on baggage tags. Use your business address instead.
  • Carry a list of all credit cards and bankcards with you. Don't keep it in your purse or wallet. (You may need the list to report the loss or theft of these cards).

When you check in at your hotel, don't give your home address verbally. Also, if you are a single woman, caution the front desk clerk not to announce your room number. Before you go shopping or sightseeing in a strange city, check with the hotel concierge for directions to your destination and the safest mode of transportation to get you there.


Written by Dr. Francis Graham (Retired)

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