It’s summertime and families are gearing up for summer vacations, but burglars could also be waiting to break into an unattended home. Before you head out the door, make sure your home is protected with these 3 tips to prevent summer break-ins.

Image Source: Flickr
Image Source: Flickr

Prepare before Vacation
Residential crime spikes during July and August as people set off on summer vacations [source: Olsen]. As mentioned earlier, if you are going out of town for an extended period of time, call your local police and let them know. Also, alert neighbors you trust about your trip and ask that they keep an eye on your property during that time.
More importantly, when you leave town, don’t leave signs of an empty house. That will only make your house look like a giant bulls-eye to a thief. First, if you have a home phone, don’t change your message to alert callers that you have left town. Also avoid having piled up mail, overgrown lawns and newspapers strewn about your yard that send surefire signals you’re miles away.
Have a friend house sit or at least pick up your mail and newspapers. Ask them to move your car periodically to make it look like you’re still around. During the winter if you live in a cold weather climate, consider having someone shovel snow from your driveway. In the summers, arrange for someone to cut. Source: Home.HowStuffWorks

Secure Doors and Windows
With your kids at home for the summer, you may be less inclined to keep your doors locked, as they will likely be running in and out, alternating between playing outside and occupying themselves inside. However, having a lax attitude toward basic security, such as locking your doors consistently, is exactly what burglars are counting on. Fact: Many break-ins involve no “breaking” at all; for the most part, burglars identify an unsecured door or window and let themselves in. Fix it: Lock your doors. Do this each time someone enters or exits the house. It may be annoying to constantly lock and unlock doors, but your mild annoyance is probably preferable to being burglarized. Source: ProtectYourHome

Trick the Burglars
– When leaving for vacation, home owners should maintain a “lived in” appearance at their home. Having the mail and newspapers stopped before will create a presence that people aren’t away. It is important to also let trusted neighbors know you will be away so they can keep an eye on your home.
– Place a security bar, sometimes referred to a “Charlie Bar,” between the patio sliding door and door jam. Don’t assume that the latch on the door is secure enough to ward off a thief. Source: SafeWise