Most burglaries are crimes of opportunity, and a thief looking to not get caught will usually be attracted to homes that seem empty. Another useful tip: If you have someone coming by to care for pets, enlist them to water your houseplants and garden as well. These steps are simple but can go a long way to masking your absence.

For stretches longer than a week, hire someone to mow the yard and put out and collect your garbage cans on schedule.

If your drapes or shades aren’t normally closed, keep them open while you’re away.

Instead, set up an account with delivery services like FedEx and UPS, as well as Amazon, and have deliveries rerouted to a pickup location. And don’t leave a note on the door for deliveries. Instead stop your mail, or get someone to pick it up. Don’t let mail and newspapers pile up.If your driveway is empty, have a neighbor park a vehicle there. If you’ve left a car behind, have this person move it periodically.Ensure they have an extra set of house keys (or know the door code). Beg, bribe, or coerce a trusted neighbor or gullible friend to make regular visits, and have them visit at random times, if possible.The big-picture concept is to eliminate any clues a potential burglar would use when deciding which home to prey upon. There are a few time-tested and commonsensical habits that everyone should adopt when leaving home for more than a couple of days. Quick, non-technical fixes before you get started

Pick and choose the ones that will solve the problems you worry about most, and then enjoy the ensuing peace of mind. Here are several effective and easy-to-install devices that will enable you to keep tabs on your home whenever you’re away. From just about anywhere in the world, I can use an app to instantly connect with my team of smart devices and ensure all is well-and I can take action if those devices show something has gone hinky. Some devices (like a smart water valve) directly protect our home, while others (such as smart smoke alarms and a few outdoor cameras) act as always-alert sentries that quickly notify me if problems crop up. I have since found salvation in a potent collection of smart-home gear. On the other hand, there’s the paranoia over hidden leaks, crossed wires, and frozen pipes, not to mention weather-borne havoc wrought by Mother Nature. On the one hand, there’s the fear of visits from petty thieves, robbers, vandals, and other boogeymen. Home ownership can be a nightmare factory that intensifies when you’re away on a nice, “relaxing” vacation.

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