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When you leave your home for the holidays, you're also leaving your home vulnerable to thieves. Luckily, there's a lot you can do to mitigate the risk of some low-life cleaning you out.
Whether you rent or own, here are some things to do -- and not do -- to help ensure it doesn't become an easy target for burglars. No home is completely secure, but there are some easy things you can do to keep your stuff safe and make it unattractive to burglars.
- Don't broadcast the fact that you're traveling or out of town on social media. Robbers have used Facebook status updates to pinpoint when targets are out of town -- or even just the time of day they are usually out of the house. Publicly tweeting, checking in, and Instagramming (those mobile-only uploads are visible to anyone with Instagram's new web profiles, unless your profile is private) are all easy ways to let tech-savvy burglars know your place could be a good target.
- Move valuables out of plain sight. If you've got windows or breaks in blinds that offer a pretty clear view of what's in your home, take a few minutes to move laptops, tablets, jewelry, and other valuables off the desk or table. Heck, even if your windows don't offer a peek inside your house, get those things out of sight. It's a simple move that can be easy to forget when you're in a rush to get out of the house and make a flight.
- Even better, keep precious items in a heavy-duty safe. At 90 pounds, the SentrySafe SFW123GTC Big Bolts Fire-Safe is heavy enough to be a challenge for thieves, but small enough (17.8 x 16.3 x 19.3 inches) that you can hide it someplace inconspicuous (not in the master bedroom -- that's often the first place targeted). It'll cost you around $200.
- __ Put a hold on your mail deliveries if you'll be gone for more than just a day or two.__ This is a super easy way to ensure those endless holiday coupon catalogs don't pile up in your mailbox or at your doorstep. The form to hold your USPS mail is right here.
- Keep an eye on your place with Dropcam HD. Dropcam is a Wi-Fi-enabled camera that can capture full-color video and night-vision shots that you can view instantly on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device using one of its free apps. There's also a subscription service available in case you want to record and store the camera's video stream. Dropcam is only $150, but the piece of mind you'll get from being able to check in on your place is priceless.
- Got a webcam already? Do video monitoring on the cheap. Using the iCam mobile and desktop apps, you can keep tabs on your place using any old webcam (or multiple cameras). Lifehacker has a detailed how-to for how to set this up here.
- Make it look like you're wandering about your house with a random light timer. Plug it into a standard outlet and it'll turn on and off for random intervals. You can grab one for less than $20. (You can also grab a regular old programmable timer for a bit cheaper.)
- Go one step further and make it look like the family is watching TV using FakeTV. It sounds a bit like an As Seen On TV product, but FakeTV is a coffee-cup-size gadget that shines light from 12 LEDs to simulate the effect of a 27-inch LCD television in a room. It's $35 -- but I bet those of you with DIY experience could make an Arduino-based version yourself fairly easily.
- Install a security system with remote monitoring. Some security system companies like ADT and Alarm.com now offer mobile apps so you can receive text message and e-mail alerts about potential intrusions or unusual events, or view a live video stream of your home. Depending on the system, you can also control and monitor thermostats and lights from the app too.
Obviously, there are all sorts of other things you can do to protect your home from the threat of intruders -- I'm a personal fan of Kevin McCallister's style in Home Alone.
But if you've got any other tips, share them in the comments.
