Home Sweet Home:
Keeping Your Nest Safe & Secure During Summer Vacation
Most of us relish the relaxed pace summer
provides and eagerly anticipate spending time away from home with family and
friends. But failing to adequately prepare your home and property for your
absence can prove costly—and make them a potential target for burglars.
Don't Let It Be You
Each year, there are
more than 2.15 million burglaries, over 65 percent of which are residential
break-ins, with the majority occurring in the peak vacation months of July and
August, according to a July 2007 Insurance Information Institute (III)
article.
Nine out of 10 home break-ins could be
prevented if homeowners would take steps to burglarproof their homes, according
the III . Jeanne M. Salvatore, senior vice president and
consumer spokesperson, I.I.I. says the average dollar loss per burglary is over
$1,700. So, battening down the hatches could just be the answer to
saving you hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars.
Losses from burglary can also directly
affect the cost of your homeowner's or renter's insurance, so it is wise to
prepare your home for your absence ahead of time to save you money and
headaches later.
Readying Your Home
The best way to keep your home safe in your
absence is to make it appear you are home, leaving absolutely no clue you're
actually away. Light, time and noise are your greatest weapons to accomplish
this, according to the III. Follow these tips along those lines to ready your
home and keep it safe:
- Ask someone you know and trust to keep an eye on your house.
- Stop delivery of your mail and newspapers—or have a friend or
neighbor pick them up for you.
- Keep bushes and shrubs near your home's entrance and walkway well
trimmed. Overgrown shrubs provide easy camouflage for burglars.
- Use timers on lights, televisions and radios to provide sound and
illuminate the inside of your home.
- Keep shades up and blinds and curtains open to make it appear
you're home.
- Keep the outside of your home well lit. Burglars won't go where
they can be seen.
- Arrange to have your lawn mowed.
- Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway, occasionally moving his or
her car indicate your coming and going.
- Leave the air conditioner on. A silent compressor on a hot day is a
good indication you aren't home.
- Change the setting on your answering machine so it picks up on the
first or second ring—or just turn down the ringer. A constantly ringing
phone is also a good sign no one is home.
Protecting Against Disaster
Protecting your home from electrical
mishaps, fire and flooding while you're gone is also important.
Before you leave, unplug everything but the
refrigerator, freezer, and the lights and radios you have set on timers. Check
to be sure the oven and stove, as well as small heat-generating appliances such
as hair dryers and curling irons, are turned off.
If you'll be away a week or more, turn off
the water to your sinks, toilets, dishwasher and washing machine. Many a homeowner
has returned home too late, only to find that an aged washing machine hose or
dishwasher part has broken, flooding their home and causing hundreds or even
thousands of dollars in damage.
This not only requires costly repair, but
can also raise the price of your homeowner's or renter's insurance.
Setting your hot water heater on the lowest
heat setting possible will keep it functioning at a minimum level, while saving
you money on your energy bills.
Preventing Break-Ins
"A significant number of break-ins
could be prevented with simple precautions such as canceling a newspaper
delivery, placing timers on lamps, and having a neighbor take in the
mail," says Lauren Russ, executive director of the Burglary Prevention
Council, a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public
on crime prevention.
But there are other measures you can take to
guard your home against break-ins, too. The article “15 Keys to Protect your
Home While you are on Vacation” reports
that some 28 percent of burglaries occur without the perpetrator using force to
gain entrance—which means they enter through an unlocked or open door or
window. This underscores the importance of locking your home's doors and
windows when you leave on that vacation.
Examining your house from the street to make
sure no valuables are within sight can also deter burglary. If a passerby can
see your expensive artwork or electronics, so can a criminal.
The article states houses without security
systems are about three times more likely to be burglarized than those with
them. In fact, burglars tend to avoid neighborhoods with burglar alarms
altogether. In addition, most insurance companies provide discounts of two to
15 percent for safety devices such as smoke, fire or burglar alarms; deadbolt
locks; and window grates or bars. This provides you with extra incentive for
installing such safety equipment in your home.
Sliding glass doors provide another point of
entrance for burglars, and should be secured by placing a metal rod in the
track, or by adding a bolt lock. This will prevent an intruder from forcing the
door open and gaining entry into your home.
Finally, automatic garage door openers
should be unplugged on your way out. Savvy burglars can discover the code and
use it to open your garage door. You do not want to return home from that
relaxing vacation, only to find you must place a homeowner's insurance claim to
cover your loss!
Insuring Your Home
Never leave home on your summer vacation
without making sure you have adequate home insurance protection for your house
and belongings. How much you need depends on the value of your home and its
contents. Talk to a local homeowner's insurance agent to find out exactly what
type of policy you need and how much coverage is warranted… before you go.
Remember, increasing your home's protection
against intruders can save you money on your home insurance premiums. So take
every precaution—and enjoy the savings!
Prepare—and Enjoy!
"Going on vacation should be the most
relaxing time of the year," says Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy
Praeger. "Taking a few precautions can help ensure tranquility during your
time away from home—and when you return."
Don't let your home and everything you've
worked so hard for become a target for burglary or disaster. You can prepare,
relax and get away from it all…and then return to your home sweet home.
