With winter here, many of us are eyeing warmer climates for a much needed vacation. However, before you book your flight and pack your sandals, you need to prepare your San Francisco home for your departure. Criminals watch the patterns of homeowners, tracking when they are and are not at home. They watch specifically for people going on vacation. Imagine coming home after the break you truly deserve, only to find you’ve been targeted by one of these criminals. Fortunately, there are some measures you can take to reduce your risk of robbery while on vacation. Here are our tips:

1. Secure Your Valuables

Before leaving on your trip, it’s a good idea to secure all your valuables. Small valuables like jewelry, cash, and gold can be stored in a lockbox. While larger valuables like electronics should be moved out of view of the windows. Make sure to also lock your car, even if it is in the garage.

2. Lock Up Your House

Before leaving, make sure to lock all the doors and windows in your San Francisco home. Double and triple check them before leaving. Also, put a bar in the frame of sliding doors and windows to keep them from being opened. A good idea is to install smart locks, that way if someone needs to enter your home while you are away, you can give them access without having to keep a hidden key.

3. Put Your Lights On A Timer

A great way to make criminals think you are at home, is to put your lights on a timer. Setting them up on a timer will turn them on and off while you are away. To an outsider, this will look like someone is inside turning the lights off and on manually. A security professional can help you determine an ideal schedule.

4. Be Careful Who You Tell About Your Vacation

When sharing that you are finally taking a vacation, only let trusted people know. Many people are robbed by people within their network. Another important tip is to never post your vacation plans on social media. Criminals troll social media looking for people going on vacation, so they can target them. Wait until you get back to post all the great photos you took.

5. Don’t Forget The Exterior

Other signs criminals look for that someone is gone is overgrown landscaping, piles of newspapers, and full mailboxes. Before leaving make arrangements to take care of these tasks. You can ask a neighbor to collect your mail and newspapers and hire a lawn care service to keep up your landscaping while you are gone. That way it looks like you are at home taking care of your normal household chores.

6. Install A Security System With Remote Monitoring

Finally, the best thing you can do is install a home security system with remote monitoring. Remote monitoring is a feature that allows you to receive notifications and alerts when something suspicious happens at your home. It will also let you live stream security footage, so you can check in and alert the authorities if you are being targeted by a criminal. All you need for remote monitoring is a computer or smart device like your phone and an internet connection. 

These six tips will help you protect your San Francisco home when you go on vacation. For more advice, speak to a security professional. They’ll review your unique risks and help you develop a plan to mitigate those risks so you can just relax and enjoy that much needed vacation.