by Liz McGuire

Created on: April 18, 2010

Home, sweet home. No matter how great a time travelers may have when they are gone, returning to the familiarity of home is a comforting part of the journey. But your home is vulnerable when it is vacant. There are simple precautions you can take that will protect your home when traveling.

A vacant home is a beacon to burglars. The easiest way to deter them is to make it seem like someone is home.

A house sitter is one of the best deterrents. With a house sitter, there is normal activity. Newspapers are brought in, lights go on and off, and mail is collected. If you use a house sitter, it's best to get a relative or friend you know to be trustworthy. But you can hire a professional house sitter. If you have pets, consider leaving them home and using the services of a pet sitter. Pet sitters can be hired for overnight stays or daily visitations. Most are willing to collect your newspapers and mail during their visits. If you hire a sitter, make sure the sitter is bonded and insist on references.

Nothing draws a burglar like a stack of newspapers in your driveway, or packages sitting at your door for days at a time. Have someone collect your papers and mail daily. For extended trips, you still need someone to check for packages. But you can have the newspaper delivery stopped and the mail held. For a fee, the US Postal service will forward your mail on a weekly basis. When stopping delivery services, you'll want to have someone check the first day to verify that the services started on the day you specify. If they are off by one day, that one uncollected paper defeats the purpose.

Other outside maintenance chores need to be continued on a regular basis. Hire someone to cut the grass or shovel snow, depending on the season. The snow may melt before you get home. But un-shoveled walks and driveways deliver a clear message that the owner is not at home.

Many people use timers to turn lights on and off inside. And burglars know that. To create a more normal lived-in look. Add a timer to the television, or radio. You can buy timers that operate on a weekly cycle, and can be set to vary the times each day. Use more than one and set the times to be consistent with your normal nightly activities. Use timers outside to make sure your house is well lit at night, if you don't use solar-activated or motion-detecting lighting.

People disagree on closing curtains and blinds. Some recommend closing all window treatments, to shield any lack of activity from inquisitive eyes.

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