Keeping Your Home Safe When You Are Away
It’s estimated that 60% of residential burglaries occur during the daytime hours when homes are unoccupied. Of course, it’s impossible to occupy your home 100% of the time, nor would you want to. Most of us must leave our homes during the day for work and for longer stretches of time like during vacations or business travel, creating a window of opportunity for burglars to strike. So, how can you keep your home safe when you are away?
Video Surveillance
More and more homeowners are investing in video surveillance for their property, and for good reason. Cameras allow homeowners to monitor footage in real-time from a remote location, usually over the Internet. Video is saved either to an NVR on site or to the cloud and clips can be downloaded and saved as needed.
Video surveillance can secure your home in another way too — it is a strong deterrent because would-be burglars like targets that have the lowest likelihood of them being caught. Visible cameras will likely encourage them to move right along.
Use Timed Lighting
You don’t have to be home to make it appear that your home is occupied. “Presence simulation” means making your home appear to be occupied even when it isn’t. Using timed lighting that turns on/off at various times of the day will create the impression that someone is home.
In addition to timed lighting, other presence simulation techniques include having timers on TVs in different rooms. For example, program a timer to turn a family room TV on early in the evening and a TV in a bedroom or other room turn on a little later. Most security systems now have integration capability through Z-Wave technology. In addition to timed lights and televisions, you can turn these items on remotely through an app on your phone.
Add a Video Doorbell
A video doorbell includes two-way audio so you can “answer” your door even when you aren’t home. Many burglars case a location by knocking at the door to see if anyone is home. When the doorbell alerts you, simply answer via your phone and speak directly to them. You can lead them to believe you are on-site, just not available to come to the door. The video doorbell will also have captured them on camera, so you can report any suspicious visitors and provide footage.
Load Your Car Inside Your Garage
You might not notice them, but during holidays and other vacation times, criminals may be watching for people putting luggage or camping gear into their car — a dead giveaway the home is going to be unoccupied. Try to load your car inside the privacy of your garage.
The same goes for recreational vehicles and campers. If the RV or camper isn’t usually parked at your home, and then suddenly it is there – that’s a telltale sign you are headed out of town. Try to leave it in storage until you are ready to pack up and go or see if you can park at a local business overnight.
Use a Monitored Alarm System
Using a monitored alarm system is the most effective way to secure your home while you are away. Unlike most DIY alarm systems on the market, monitored systems are watched closely by a professional security company.
If a sensor is tripped, the company will first attempt to contact the homeowner to see if it was a false alarm. If they cannot reach the homeowner, or if the “homeowner” provides the wrong password, they will notify the local police.
Ask a Neighbor for Help
If you plan on being away, ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your property. Most neighbors will gladly watch over your property, because they don’t want crime happening in the neighborhood any more than you do, and you can return the favor when they’re away. If your neighborhood has a security patrol, ask for a vacation watch for your home while you are gone. They will do extra drive-bys and walk the perimeter of your home to ensure everything is safe and secure.
For true peace of mind, you can’t go wrong with having a professional security firm install a system that fits your needs and your budget. Contact Cultris Security Systems at 281-506-8466 or visit us online – we’re here to help!
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