| If you own a vacation home, then you certainly | | | | wireless surveillance cameras can even be watched |
| realize that your second home will be left unoccupied | | | | over the internet, allowing you to keep an eye on |
| for large portions of the year. With no one around | | | | your vacation spot when you're away. Be sure to |
| for months, how can you ensure that no one will | | | | post signs in prominent places on your property, such |
| break in? With horror stories of vacationers arriving | | | | as near the front and back doors, warning potential |
| at the start of what they hope will be a relaxing | | | | criminals that your vacation home is protected by |
| week off, only to realize that the front door is wide | | | | such systems. These visible deterrents can be a very |
| open and everything inside is gone, it's becoming | | | | effective measure for keeping your home safe while |
| more and more important to consider your vacation | | | | you're away, whether it is your primary residence or |
| home's security. | | | | a vacation home. |
| Criminals love to prey on homes that they know will | | | | 2) Set timers for lights and sounds. To give the |
| be unoccupied for a long period of time. During the | | | | impression that there are people in the home, you |
| off-season, burglars know that you probably won't | | | | can set your lights and TV on occasional timers so |
| return for months, giving them plenty of time to | | | | that they will turn on and off throughout the day. |
| steal whatever they want without a fear of getting | | | | Also consider having one of the neighbors park in |
| caught. Plus, many vacation homes are located in | | | | your driveway occasionally. Again, the goal is to make |
| relatively isolated areas, or near other | | | | it appear that someone is always home, because |
| seasonally-occupied properties, meaning that there | | | | criminals love to prey on unoccupied homes. |
| aren't even any neighbors around to stop them. | | | | 3) Ask neighbors to keep an eye on the home. If |
| One of the biggest issues faced by those who have | | | | you do have year-round neighbors around your |
| a vacation home is how to protect it when you're | | | | vacation home, have them keep an eye on people |
| not there to enjoy it. This is especially true if you | | | | coming and going. You may even want to let them |
| have a vacation home that is fully furnished and well | | | | know when you will be staying in the home, so that |
| equipped with electronics and outdoor toys such as | | | | they can alert the police if they see people lurking |
| boats or ATVs. Because many homeowners don't | | | | around the home when you're not there. |
| spend months at a time living in their vacation homes, | | | | 4) Secure all valuables. During the off-season, do you |
| they don't put a lot of thought into the necessary | | | | leave your ATVs sitting in the carport of your |
| security precautions. The good news is that there | | | | vacation home, or your boat tethered to the shore? |
| are several easy ways to make your vacation | | | | Are the curtains open, giving potential thieves a good |
| residence unappealing to criminals. | | | | look at your great TV and anything else you keep in |
| 1) Install security cameras and alarms. Install cameras | | | | your vacation-home year round? Always make sure |
| or dummy cameras, along with door and window | | | | that such items are stored securely and protected |
| alarms, to scare away potential criminals. Some | | | | with heavy-duty locks. |